Humanity
by Japanese Zombie Hero
Summary: Vampires and humans, hunter and prey. What does this make of the half breeds, are they involved in the war? What side do they chose? Does humanity exist?
1. Chapter The First

Hullo! A first fic here from me Japanese Zombie Hero…just call me Zombie for short!

--

"Ghost, are we done yet?" a small dark eyed girl whined as she sat with her friend, perched high up on the rafters of a tall building. "I'm bored!" She tossed her long dark brown hair over one shoulder, and swung her feet over the edge, swinging them leisurely.

"Do you have no patience?!" The other girl sighed, her long white hair adorned with a green flame-like streak, swayed softly in the wind. "Do you want to eat tonight or what?"

The smaller of the two merely rolled her eyes. "I don't see why you're so picky about what we eat, anyway!" She held up her hand and inspected her perfectly painted claw like nails. "It's not as though any of them are perfect.."

But the other girl had already turned away from her, a purple tricorn hat pulled down over her face, a white bang hanging over one eye. The left eye, meadow green, but the pupil was dark red instead of the average black, with a crystal blue tear drop marking on the left cheek under it, roamed across the streets 30 stories below them, her enhanced vision picking up every detail.

Finally seeing what she was looking for she scrambled over the edge of the building, and free fell, landing perfectly down the side of the building. She turned her head to the left to see her friend alight gracefully on the ground beside her. Seeing her gaze, the smaller girl grinned and pirouetted on the spot, twirling her hooded cloak around her.

She looked out of the end of the alleyway and saw two men staggering drunkly down the road, holding onto each other for support. She turned sharply and raised an elegant eyebrow at Ghost. "Drunkards?"

Ghost merely nodded, she went and stood in the shadows on the edge of the alleyway, and waited for the young men to come close enough. She reached out and grabbed the one nearest to her, knocking his head sharply against the wall as she yanked him towards her, rendering him unconscious. She ran a finger along the blood trickling down his temple and popped the finger into her mouth, tasting. She surveyed the face before her. 'Not bad looking' she thought to herself, but discarded the thought as she began to feed, sinking the points into the artery in his neck, not letting a single drop of the precious liquid spill. Once she was sated she laid the body on the ground and turned to face her companion. She was playing with her food again.

She had one hand pressed firmly over the boy's mouth, and was running one sharp talon up and down the side of his neck tauntingly. The boy's eyes looked in terror towards Ghost, but they rolled up in his head as he passed out when he felt two razor sharp fangs sink into his neck. Once she had had her fill she dropped the body unceremoniously to the ground and a light giggle escaped past her bloody lips.

She reached up and wiped away the blood running down her chin and licked it off her finger before beaming at her companion. "All finished" she announced.

"Can't you ever eat cleanly Hannah?"

--

The small dark haired girl in front of him let out a piercing shriek and exploded into a cloud of dust and a faint hissing sound, the dust twinkling and it fell to earth, showering over a tall red haired boy.

The boy pulled his wooden stake back towards himself, and shook his head, causing the sparkling motes to come tumbling down again.

"You look like you're just come out of a Sparkle Motion concert" a deep voice said lazily to his right. He looked sharply at the slate haired boy leaning casually on the wall.

"Shut up Kai, you look no better" he tried to brush the dust off the clothes, "I hate this stuff!"

"Yeah well don't we all? It's part and parcel with the job Tala"

"This is a job?" The red head scoffed "I thought we did this because we chose to? We don't get paid for this"

"Yeah well at least we're doing people a favour, getting rid of creatures like these" He took a drag off the cigarette that had been dangling loosely from his fingers. "I wonder how the others did tonight"

Tala frowned at him disapprovingly, "I don't get it! You kill vampires, and yet you are slowly killing yourself with those things!"

Kai gave a half grin and exhaled, the smoke spiralling up into the night sky, "There's a lot of things you don't get about me, Red"

"True" Tala agreed, brushing the last of the remains from his black shirt. "We should head back now, the sun's coming up. There'll be no more tonight"

"Yeah, may as well" Kai answered, he bent down and picked up a wooden stake from the girl-recently-turned-pile-of-dust on the ground beside his foot. He tucked it into an inside pocket of his jacket.

He looked down at the bodies of two men they had been to late to save, just dropped unceremoniously to the ground once they were finished with. Tala looked at them sadly, he wanted felt sad about it, he wanted to cover them up or something, not just leave them lying on the ground, looking sightlessly upwards with glazed eyes. But he couldn't, not unless he wanted to get involved in the world of crime.

They swept out of the dark alleyway and disappeared down into the sewers of the city.

This was their life. They went out, they fought, they slayed. They were a part of a small group of youths that resided in the heart of the city. The unknown protectors of the people. While they risked their lives, trying to save the lives of the people who didn't even know they existed. They liked to keep it that way.

They were the killers of killers, and yet no one rewarded them for their bravery or courage. This was their life.

They wound their way through the twisting sewer tunnels, neither of them saying a word. Finally reaching their destination, the climbed up a ladder and pushed past the heavy metal slab, into their home.

"Last ones home?" a boys voice tinged with a Scottish accent said loudly.

"What does it look like moron" Tala's quick voice retorted, as she slammed the metal grate home, blocking all access from the sewers.

"Someone's tetchy tonight" the boy answered, the purple eyes sparkling with amusement.

Kai decided to step in before a fight broke out. "Stop it Johnny, we were too late tonight, they had already killed two men"

"Oh" was the only word to tumble past Johnny's lips, "I'm sorry man"

Tala merely grunted and sat down heavily into an old arm chair.

"What did you get tonight?" he asked

"A couple of newbie's that were wandering around on their first night" Johnny answered, he gestured to his team assembled around him, a Chinese boy with knee length black hair bound behind him and amber eyes, a boy with vivid green eyes and red and black hair, and tall pale boy with pale lilac eyes and hair. A few others were lying around the room, snoozing on their assigned pallets.

"You?" the Chinese boy said, walking over to one side of the room and detaching himself from his weaponry.

"Two girls"" Kai said quickly, "Not newborns either, they gave us a run for our money" Before he had chance to say anything further, a new voice entered the room.

"How many tonight guys?" the voice belonged to a small boy with brown hair that covered his eyes and a pair of glasses perched on his nose. He carried a laptop under one arm. He was Kenny, The Chief, the brains of the team. He located the vampires and sent his teams out to find them and destroy them before they caused any harm.

"Five newbie's, Chief" Johnny reported, watching as the boy quickly typed the information into the laptop.

"Two vamps" Tala spoke up, "And two corpses down for the count too"

"That's ok Tala," Chief said softly, "It happens to us all"

"I know" Tala sighed, "but I just can't help but wish I could have done something!"

"Tala" Kai said sternly, "You should be thankful for the fact that two more vampires are off the streets and can't hurt anyone else!"

And with that the slate haired boy walked through to a different room, in order to rest and get some sleep before the next call out the next night.

About five minutes later he was aware of Tala entering the room, and letting out a heavy sigh as he flopped down onto the bed on the opposite side of the room. He smiled to himself as his friend's breathing became deep and steady, as sleep over took him. He slowly let himself drift into slumber, nothing to fear while the sunlight shone.

--

WAAH! A first chapter from Zombie! well, you like? You hate?

GIVE ME REVIEWS! growls

Johnny: SHE GONE INSANE! runs in circles


	2. Chapter The Second

Zombie: I present unto thee, chapter two for your enjoyment

Johnny: you get weirder everyday, you know that?

Zombie: ...yes

Johnny: e.e whatever,

Zombie: I don't own anyone except Hannah, Ghost belongs to herself, and everyone else belongs to Beyblade, unless I state otherwise, got it?

Johnny: enjoy the fic.

* * *

"Two more bodies were discovered early this morning by passer byers, once again they were found down an alleyway in the town of Grimsby. Police are investigating the case, determined to get to the bottom of this case. The death count now has been added up to 13, all having died from severe blood loss from puncture wounds from the ne-"

"Catching up on the news?" a sudden voice broke into the room, diverting the white haired girl's attention from the TV.

She merely nodded and turned her back on the smaller dark haired girl, who had just walked out of the bathroom.

She flopped down on the sofa next to her companion. "Amusing, isn't it?"

"What is?" Ghost's eyes never left the television.

"The stupidity of the human race" Hannah chuckled, "The answer is right under their noses, but they are too blind to see it, they have no imagination."

"Which is a good thing in our case, people are too close minded to even consider the idea of vampires" Ghost allowed herself a small smile.

"Yeah" Hannah laughed, "Who in their right mind would believe in vampires"

The two girls looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. Ghost recovered first.

"We really should try and cover our tracks better, we don't want a repeat of London do we?"

Hannah pouted slightly, London had been fun, but she could see where she was right. "So how do you suppose we cover our tracks, oh Little Miss I'm So Brainy?" She looked up at the other girl questioningly.

"We stick to the docks, pick up people from there, and then throw the bodies off the pier, clean and quick." Was Ghost's plan of action.

"Fair enough, but not much fun"

"Food isn't entertaining, it's called surviving"

"Bah, you're just being close-minded! You can always have fun with your food!"

"Whatever"

* * *

"The bodies discovered this morning were of two young boys, each in their late teens-"

"Wait a second!" Kai leant closer to the screen; he looked at Tala, "did he say teenagers?" A confused look flitted across his face.

The same look was present on Tala's features. Johnny looked between them blankly, "what's with you guys?"

"The guys we found dead last night weren't teenagers" Tala said slowly, "that's means that those two bodies are still lying in that alleyway…"

"…And more people were killed last night than we thought…shit!" Kai cursed, "can we get nothing right at the moment!"

Johnny seemed to realise the depth of the situation, "at least no one was turned last night" he said, trying to lift the other boys' spirits.

Tala suddenly got to his feet and grabbed his coat off the back of his chair, he slipped a stunner into the holster strapped around his thigh, concealed by the knee length coat.

"Where are you going?" Kai asked, getting to his feet.

"To where we left those bodies, we didn't check did we?"

He swept out of the room and disappeared into the sewers before Kai had chance to say anything.

Kai just sighed and picked up his coat too, stuffing a few stakes in the back of his jeans pocket.

"You going too, Kai?" Johnny said stupidly, stating the obvious.

"Someone has to keep the red head out of trouble"

Johnny snickered slightly, "yeah I guess you're right" but Kai had already gone, and the metal grate back in place.

* * *

Tala walked swiftly along the sewer tunnel, thoughts bouncing of the inside of his head like ping pong balls, he walked quickly through the winding tunnels and pulled himself up through a metal grate hidden in the back alleys of the city. It took him less than five minutes to reach the alleyway when Kai and himself had fought the night before. He quickly pulled himself back around the corner when he saw the alleyway was already occupied, and the bodies were still there.

* * *

Hannah prodded one of the bodies with her foot. "Nye…I thought these two were on the news this morning, why are they still here?"

Ghost merely shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe it was different bodies they found?" She watched as Hannah dropped to the ground and lifted one of the corpse's hands up gingerly by the wrist, as though it would bite her at any second.

"Maybe," Hannah mused, "That means that there are more vampires around here…I bet it was Shiya and Kaori" she said thoughtfully, laying the dead hand upon its owners stomach.

Ghost twisted sharply to the side, and something zipped past her, causing the slightest nick in her shirt edge, and embedded itself in the wall behind her. She hissed at the object as then turned her head to the direction it had come from. No one fired a stake at her and got away with it. Hannah didn't even move, she just continued moving the corpses as though nothing had happened, humming a tune to herself.

The source of the assault was a tall red haired boy stood at the entrance to the alley, holding his weapon out in front of him. Cold blue eyes boring into her from behind red bangs, the boys mouth was set into a grim line, his face showing no emotion whatsoever.

Ghost gritted her teeth, "Han? What say you we kill this guy? …Han?" She glanced over to her side. No Hannah.

A smirk played across the boy's features, "abandoned?" The smirk slid off his face as another voice spoke from behind him, he half twisted to look behind him.

"What the hell is this thing anyway?" Hannah was stood behind the boy, holding a weapon identical to the one in the boy's own grasp. She gave it a shake and gave it a puzzled look.

Tala's free hand shot down to where his second holster was on his hip under the coat, empty. "How the hell did you get that!"

Hannah just winked at him and tapped the side of her nose, "I'm sly as a pie" and pulled the trigger.

Time seemed to slow down as the boy toppled backwards, the wooden stake pushing through the skin and embedding itself in the flesh of his side.

Ghost watched him hit the ground hard, red spreading up the side of his white coat, she leaned over him watching him press his hands against the wound and gritting his teeth against the pain.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" she grinned, and let a small laugh spill from her lips as he glared up at her. She glanced up at the sound of a weapon clattering to the floor, Hannah lying on the floor face down.

"Quit messing around Han, let's go home!" Ghost straightened up and walked around the bleeding boy, she prodded Hannah with her foot. "Stop the games"

Hannah didn't move, and alarm bells rung in Ghost's head. Although there was no time to worry about them, as a sharp pain spread from the base of her head, the world went black and she fell to the floor next to her friend.

A figure walked down the alley way and crouched next to Tala. "Couldn't you stay out of trouble just this once?"

Tala coughed and a winced as the movement sent painful waves up his side, "Just get this thing out of me would you Kai?" he said irritably.

"'Kay, hold still" the slate haired boy wrapped his hand around the piece of wood sticking out from his partner's side, Tala lifted and hand and placed it against Kai's shoulder, bracing himself.

Kai gave the stake a sharp twist and a yank, pulling it free from the flesh, Tala winced and let out a grunting sound and then relaxed a little, the pain ebbing away. Kai threw the bloodied stake to the side and pulled the other boy to his feet.

"Let's get you back home, get someone to patch you up" Kai said, picking up the dropped weapons and pushing them back into the holsters.

"What about them? We can't just stake 'em" Tala nodded towards the two girls sprawled on the floor. "The little one was sat in sunlight, they aren't your average vampire"

"You think a new breed?" Kai glanced at the fallen girls, Tala just nodded. "Ok then, they come back with us, you take the midget, ill get the other one"

"Got it"

Between them, they took the two vampires through the sewers, back to their home.

Back at Base

Johnny started when the metal grate opened loudly and Tala emerged into the room. "Hey guys, how went the mission…what the hell! Who are they!" he stood up quickly as Tala pulled a small dark haired girl up through the grate.

"Take this" he dumped the unconscious girl into the Scottish Boy's arms and pulled another body up through the entrance, a white and green haired girl.

Johnny opened and closed his mouth dumbly. Kai pulled himself up through the grate and pulled the metal cover back, "Close your mouth Johnny" he said simply and took the comatose girl from Tala, and walked over to the 'holding cell', otherwise known as a room with a metal door and bars over the glass panel. Virtually inescapable.

Laying the girl down on the pallet in the corner of the room, he motioned the gaping Scottish boy to do likewise. After both Hannah and Ghost were inside, the door was locked.

Johnny looked between Tala and Kai questioningly, neither seemed particularly bothered that they had just locked two girls into their holding cell.

"Did we just-" Johnny began.

"Yep"

"Why-"

"Vampires"

"Oh…what the hell happened to you!" Johnny stared agape as Tala pulled his shirt over his head, revealing the oozing wound in his side.

"The dwarf shot me" he said shortly.

"With his own gun" Kai added mockingly, Tala just glared at him in response and pushed himself up onto the table top.

"…I'll go wake up Rei" Johnny said and left the room to fetch the said boy.

Johnny came back into the room, followed by the Chinese teen known as Rei. Rei let out a sigh when he saw the hole in Tala's side.

"Another stitch up job I see Tala?"

* * *

Zombie: i FINALLY did it huh!

Johnny: you were just being lazy...

Zombie: Nuh-uh! I had mock GCSEs!

Johnny: ...

Zombie: REVEIW PLEASE! FLAMES ARE IGNORED!

Johnny: o.o dear lord...no more sugar for you!


	3. Chapter The Third

Zombie: hey all! I'm back again! Making up for lost time!

Johnny: blinks I didn't expect you back for weeks

Zombie: im faster than you think

* * *

Hannah woke up with a throbbing at the back of her head. She groaned and rolled over onto something hard and cold. She cracked an eye open, the floor, she was lying on the floor. Pulling herself upwards into a sitting position, she held her head with both hands, trying to ease the dull throb at the back of her skull.

She snuck a glance around the room, a single window, bars on the outside, and several pallets on the floor, metal door, again bars over the glass panel. Her companion was still out cold on another pallet on the other side of the room, breathing silently.

"Ugh…what hit me?" She spoke to herself and tried to stand up; her legs were unstable and felt as though they were made of jelly, the gloopy kind. She hauled herself upright using a thin wooden rail on the wall about half way up. She stumbled her way over to the door toppled forwards as she lost her grip.

She shut her eyes tight and grabbed onto something above her head, opening one eye slowly, she found her nose a hair's breadth away from the metal door, and her hands wrapped around the metals bars over the panel.

Only there was no panel there, sure there used to be one, now only the metal bars covered the space. Pulling herself upwards, she looked over the edge of the hole, her feet no longer touching the floor.

She glanced around the room, there seemed to be no one there. "Hello?" she called quietly. "Hello…?"

She pouted, "Mou, why is no one around?" She banged her fist against the door, listening the it echo throughout the room, her lips split upwards at the source of entertainment and she gave the door another mighty smack, reveling in the shattered silence.

Ghost frowned in her sleep as she murmured out of the blue, "Stop breaking things, Hannah…" and promptly rolled over and went back to sleep.

A young boy came running into the room, looking all around him, panicked expressions flitting across his face, "What the!" He stopped dead when he saw the dark haired girl watching him from the gap in the door, her arms pushed out through the gaps and hanging downwards. "Oh, it was only you."

A happy expression on her face as she smiled at him and gave him a little wave, "Hi there!"

The boy glared at her, "Don't you know what time it is, Vampire?" he asked in a clipped tone.

The girl's smile seemed to widen, "Is it not now past then, young boy?"

The boy gave her a look usually seen when looking upon a stark ravinglunatic, "Yeah…whatever"

"Daichi? What's going on out there?" someone called sleepily from another room.

"Nothing to worry about Kai, somebody better tell Tala that his pet is awake though" The boy called back, pushing a few rebellious strands of red hair away from his face.

"Daichi…" the girl said slowly, rolling the word around on her tongue, "You have a pretty name, my name is Hannah, let us be friends?" She held her hand out towards Daichi.

Daichi rewarded her efforts with a disgusted look, "I'll never be your friend, Vampire!"

Hannah let her arm drop back to where it was against the door, the smile was gone, replaced by the hurt and lost expression of a scolded child. "I am…rejected…" she said woefully, and dropped down from view.

Another boy walked into the room, with sleep mussed red hair and blue eyes. Tala stifled a yawn as he walked towards the younger boy. He grinned and ruffled up the smaller boys hair, "Morning, shrimp"

"Taaallaaa!" Daichi wailed and pushed Tala's hand away from his precious hair, "Don't call me that!"

Tala merely smiled and laughed at his friend's antics. "Anyway, you have something to report?"

Daichi rubbed his head ruefully, "Yeah I do, that prisoner of yours is a total nutcase!"

"Yeah, that I already knew…" Tala rubbed his side thoughtfully as a twinge swept through his body, "A nutcase with good aim too"

"Yeah anyway, she's awake, and making noises, and I'm too tired to deal with her mumbo jumbo! She's all yours!" Daichi ran back into the room from whence he came, back to his warm bed.

Tala walked over to the cell door and looked through the bars, he could only see the white and green haired girl, still dozing peacefully where they had left her. No sign of the other one. He bent down and released a latch about half way down the door, a thin layer of the door swung away on its hinges, leaving a sheet of very thick glass to do its job.

"Well hello there" Tala said as he saw the other girl huddled at the foot of the door, her head buried in her knees. She raised her head at the sound of his voice and looked back at him with frightened eyes.

"The Daichi creature does not like me" She said sadly, pushing her hand against the glass and making invisible patterns with her fingertips.

Tala crouched down on the other side of the glass, "Well what did you expect? Milk and cookies? You aren't visitors here you know? You're prisoners. Anyway, now that I'm awake, may as well feed you and your friend, don't want you wasting away on us"

Hannah turned her head away from the glass, "I'm not hungry"

"Yes you are" he argued back "I can hear your stomach growling!"

She turned to face him, "I'm not hungry for anything you can give me, unless you want to offer me your neck? But I don't suppose that's on the menu is it?"

Tala's face set into a stony gaze, "No" he said quietly "No it isn't" He got up and walked away from the door and into the 'kitchen' section of the base. Hannah's eyes followed him around the room.

A groan from behind her diverted Hannah's attention and she crawled over to her friend.

"Ugh…what happened?" Ghost moaned and pushed her white and green hair from her eyes, "Where are we?"

"Ghost! You are awake at last!" Hannah cried

"Yeah, save the outbursts for a time they won't hurt my head"

"Sorry"

"It's ok, now where the hell are we?" Ghost sat up and rubbed her head.

Hannah shrugged and entertained herself by pulling long black threads from the long trailing sleeves of her dress, and wrapping them around her fingertips. "The wounded one may know" she said absently, plaiting some long black threads into her hair and tying them off with a black ribbon she pulled from the front of the corset. Ghost gave her a strange look, but soon caught sight of Tala sat outside the glass pane.

Ghost peered at the boy and then crawled closer to the glass, "Hey…I know you! You're that boy from the alley! Why aren't you dead?"

Tala shrugged and glared at the taller girl, "Just lucky I guess? The dwarf left a gaping hole in my side, but not enough to kill me"

Hannah let out an indignant squeak, "I'm not a dwarf!"

"Release us this instant!" Ghost smacked her fist against the glass, "You have no right to keep us here!"

Tala grinned a little, "temper, now"

Ghost growled at him, "Release us, you know that my friend and I could rip this room apart before you could move, I'm giving you the chance to save yourself the bother!"

He just shrugged at her, "You're welcome to try, it would be quite amusing to watch, just don't hurt yourselves trying"

Ghost glared at him, "Just watch me, Boy!" and slammed her fist into the wall, pounding it again and again until her knuckles were raw and bleeding. She pulled back, breathing heavily, "No way…"

Not even a scratch on the wall, there no sign that anything had even happened to it. Hannah just sat on the small pile of bed clothes she had woken up in, just watching the other girl rip a piece off her clothes and bind it around her abused knuckles.

Tala sighed and shook his head, "Don't say I didn't warn you, what are your names anyway? I can't just call you Vampire forever"

"Edward!" Hannah said instantly, pulling her head up to look out of the door at Tala. Tala raised one eyebrow questioningly, "I already know your name, I heard you talking to Daichi earlier"

"Then why did you ask?"

"Just being conversational" Hannah scowled at him and turned her back on him, clearly sulking.

"My name is Ghost" The said girl spat out, "And who the hell are you exactly?" Waking up with a headache behind bars had obviously done nothing to improve the girl's mood.

"My name's Tala, and in answer to your earlier question, you're in our base camp in the sewers" He flicked a strand of red hair away from his eyes.

Ghost gave him a strange look, "We're underground!"

A new voice entered the room, "yeah, so?" The owner of the voice walked into the room from one of the adjoining rooms. He was quite possibly the most gorgeous guy Ghost had ever seen. Reddish brown eyes, two tone grey-y blue hair, pale skin, two fin shaped markings on either side of his face, well muscled, tall. She shook her head to clear out all those kind of thoughts, reminding herself that he was the enemy.

"Morning Blue" Tala said to the newcomer.

"Morning, I see the guests are alive and well, Tala here been treating you nicely?" He leaned towards the glass pane, smirking down at the imprisoned girl.

"Shut it, Nemo!" Ghost shot back, immediately adopting the nickname, those markings on his face reminded her of shark fins.

Kai smirked and stood up straight, "I see we're onto name calling already" Tala just grinned and nodded in response. Another boy walked into the room, with long ebony hair and reached the back of his knees, and golden eyes slitted like a cats. He walked with the grace of a feline, stretching luxuriously as he moved.

"Good Morning" he said half way through a yawn, "how's the side?" he asked Tala, who merely patted his side gently.

"Healing, thanks again Rei"

The golden eyes boy just rolled his eyes and smiled, "You're making this into a routine Tala, this is the third time I've had to fix something you've broken. I want to change the dressing on it this morning"

"Ok, you're the expert" Tala said dismissively.

Rei laughed and nodded. "Damn right! And you'd better remember that the next time you come home dripping blood!" Rei stopped laughing as he noticed the two girls watching them from behind the glass panel.

He crouched down in front of the glass, and smiled, waving happily at the occupants. "Hi there!"

Ghost looked at him curiously, "…What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know…maybe he's broken?" Hannah offered, she looked at Rei with wide eyes. "Hello? What are you?"

Rei just laughed harder and sat down in front of the glass.

"I don't understand" Hannah said, clearly confused, "He has fangs like us, he is a vampire and yet he walks around with you, you hold him as a friend?" She looked over the hysterical boy at Tala.

"He's not a vampire!" Tala started laughing too, "Anyone would think you two have never seen a neko-jin before!"

Ghost just looked at Hannah, and Hannah looked back. "A..what?"

Rei slowly stopped laughing and wiped under his eyes, "There's a lot you two need to learn"

* * *

Zombie: Tadaa! Another chapter here for your enjoyment!

Johnny: You're only doing it so fast because for every chapter you write, Ghost writes a new one to hers...

Zombie: Ya so? I like her fic!

Johnny: I see

Zombie: Til next time folks! hits Johnny with spork

Johnny:


	4. Chapter The Fourth

Zombie: S'me again!

Johnny: …nods

Zombie: …nods

Johnny: …nods

Zombie: > stop that!

* * *

A few hours later Hannah was sat at the glass pane, listening avidly to what Rei was telling her. All the years she had been alive and she had never encountered any of the wonders this cat like boy was describing to her.

Kai and Tala watched the scene from the sidelines, Kai leant close to Tala and chuckled, "Rei's got her wrapped around his little finger" Tala just stifled a laugh in response, watching the small girl's eyes light up in awe at every delight Rei told her about.

Ghost was also listening, just not as avidly as her smaller companion. She knew that Hannah was just like a small child at mind, and the simplest things delighted her, let this boy entertain her, he was doing a good job, and it saved her from having to do it.

Rei was having fun too, it was easy to tell. He never stopped smiling once while he told the two girls all about his homeland and the wonders of the world. Kai left the room unnoticed and returned in the same manner, carrying a small bundle under his arm.

"What's that?" obviously no so unnoticed as Tala asked him.

"Clothes, for them, surely you haven't been so wrapped up in Rei's fairy tales that you haven't noticed that one of them has been ripping pieces of fabric off her sleeves since Rei started?"

Tala looked and sure enough, small strips and tangles threads were littered all around Hannah as she hung on Rei's every word, steadily shortening her sleeves to her elbows. "No I didn't notice, and I don't think she has either, maybe she does it without realizing?"

"Could be…" Kai walked over and unlocked the bars over the hole at the top of the door. He threw the bundle through the hole and replaced the cover. He then swung the cover back over the glass panel and locked it again.

Rei stood up and walked away from the door, chuckling to himself. "Man they are easy to amuse!" He grinned and got out a box of bandages, "Anyway Mr. Invalid, its your turn now!"

"Ok" Tala said, and pulled his t-shirt over his head, revealing the bandages wrapped all around his torso.

They heard a cry of dismay from behind the holding cell door. "No way!"

"What's wrong with you?" Kai asked as Hannah's face appeared at the door, pulling herself up on the bars again.

"These are BOYS clothes!" she cried, looking outraged.

Kai just shrugged, "Yeah, so? There aren't any girls here, so no need to keep girls clothes"

Hannah's expression was comical to Ghost, who started laughing like crazy in the background. "But…I am a girl! Girl's do not wear boys clothes!"

Ghost chuckled and sighed, "This is the 21st Century remember Hannah? Things aren't how you remember them, a lot of girls dress like this now"

Hannah just picked up once of the items gingerly by her fingertips. "If you say so…but do not think I like this!"

"I won't" Ghost laughed and turned away to let her friend change, having already changed into the jeans and shirt provided.

"Ok I'm done, this is ridiculous!"

Ghost turned around to look at the other girl, and immediately burst out laughing.

Hannah scowled, "what's so funny!"

"I'm sorry!" Ghost choked out, "It's just seeing you….in shorts!"

Hannah was dressed in a pair of cut off denim shorts, finishing just below her knees, and a oversized white t-shirt, long enough to finish just an inch above the bottom of the shorts. "I feel stupid…" Hannah said dejectedly, looking off to the side, "At least your clothes cover your legs!"

Hannah scowled even deeper while Ghost just shook her head and sighed. "Don't worry Hannah, you'll be back in your corsets and skirts before long"

"I hope so!" The smaller girl said indignantly, "This is not proper!"

"Nothing is proper anymore Han"

Their conversation was cut short by the sound of the metal cover being swung away from the glass panel again. Hannah tried to stay out of view from the window by sidling away from the window, but Ghost grabbed her arm and pulled her back to the centre of the room. A low growl emanated from Hannah's throat but she didn't attempt to move again.

"Well I must say I'm impressed," Kai said slowly, "You two almost look like normal humans, and with a baseball cap, I'm sure we could pass you off as a child?" He said to Hannah.

Hannah growled and moved forwards, but Ghost's grip on her arm tightened, so she stayed where she was. She noticed another boy sat at the back of the room, typing away on a laptop, his face covered by his hair, a pair of glasses perched on his head.

"Hey Kenny! Not so hard on the keys please!" A feminine voice cut through the air, it sounded mighty pissed off.

"Sorry, Diz! I just need you to finish this scan real quick!" The bespectacled boy apologized, seemingly speaking to no one.

"Ok ok! Just don't take any stress out on my board please!" The voice said again, "Ok scan complete, Kenny!"

After a few moments, the brown haired boy almost leapt out of his seat with shock. Everyone turned to look at him questioningly. "No way! I never thought this was even possible!" The boy ranted, almost hyperventilating.

Rei was first on the scene, "Calm down Chief!"

The boy seemed to calm down and actually start breathing again. "Those girls...they're…they're hybrids!"

Rei blinked and gave him a blank stare, "Come again?"

Kenny cried out excitedly, "They are a mixture of the two! Both are half vampire and half…human"

Tala was on his feet in an instant, "No way! That's gotta be wrong! No way can anyone with even a hint of humanity be a cold blooded killer!"

Hannah rolled her eyes, "Thanks for putting it so delicately…" Ghost merely glowered at Tala.

Kenny was near bouncing up and down in excitement, "Don't you understand! They are one of a kind! This could give me the chance I've been waiting for to conduct my tests!"

Ghost's eyes widened, "That psychoain't coming near me!"

Hannah just stared into space, not even paying attention.

Kai was the only one who seemed to remain calm.

Hannah suddenly broke into the conversation by screaming at the top of her lungs, "DUCK!" and flung herself to the floor, taking Ghost with her. "Not gonna get me this time!" She looked up and yelled at nothing.

"Hannah, not here! Not now!" Ghost cried and grabbed Hannah's legs aas she tried to stand up, making her to fall over again.

Hannah just wriggled away from her and stood up again, "I have to get it!" and then jumped up into the air, grabbed fistfuls of air.

Everyone just watched the tiny girl launch herself at something only she could see, letting out a cry of triumph as she grabbed hold of something. And slammed it into a wall.

"Ghost! I got it!" She cried out happily, "I finally got it!"

Ghost sighed, "Great Han, just great, now you remember where we are right?"

Hannah looked at the faces of the boys watching her with blank faces through the glass panel, "Oh…hi?" She gave a nervous laugh.

Daichi, who had appeared from no where, "I TOLD you she was a nut case!"

"Yeah…I believe you Daichi, I really do…" Rei looked confused to hell.

Kenny adjusted his glasses and peered through the glass. "Yes, clearly a sign of insanity, interesting" He typed something into the laptop and returned to staring at the small girl.

Hannah was extremely uncomfortable. "Someone make him stop, he's really creepy…"

Ghost had had enough of it all, "I want out! Let me out of this cage you bastards!" She dealt the glass a hefty kick with the combat boots.

"Ghost…" Hannah began.

"No! I refuse to be kept in here like an animal! I'll take on anyone who tries to stop me!" She yelled furiously.

Kai stepped forward, "Ok now I'm interested" he grinned, "Let her out"

Daichi ran forwards, "What are you insane! She'll kill us all!"

Kai just sort of smiled, "No she won't, Ill fight you Ghost! I win, you stay here with us, you win, you and your loon are free to leave"

Hannah fumed in the background, "Who are you calling a loon!"

Her voice went completely ignored though, as the door swung open and Ghost stepped out, never taking her eyes off Kai's. "I'm gonna enjoy this, Nemo"

Silence filled the room and Kai and Ghost stared each other down. Ghost made the first move, she ran full pelt towards Kai, her fist raised high and a scream of anger spilling from her lips.

* * *

Zombie: Oooo

Johnny: > What is it with you and cliffhangers!

Zombie: ; i just do it to bug Ghost XD

Johnny: ...

Zombie: Don't look at me like that.


	5. Chapter The Fifth

Zombie: Wooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Johnny: O.O

Zombie: bursts out laughing

Johnny: …I'm not even gonna go there…enjoy the fic.

Kai grinned as the furious girl ran towards him. "Hold nothing back!" He shouted and ran to meet her in the middle of the room. Ducking under her fist, before she could realize what had happened, and watching her skid along the floor before him, bringing herself to a halt. Whipping her head around to face him, her white and green hair swinging around.

She bared her teeth at him and let out a low growl. "You aren't supposed to dodge!" And ran at him again, again to be side stepped.

"Fight back!" She yelled, grinning when her fist connected with the side of his face, making a satisfying smacking sound. Kai grunted and put a foot out behind him to steady himself.

He lifted one hand to his face a wiped a small piece of blood from his cut lip, smirking at his opponent. "Lucky shot"

Ghost swung at him again, "You're the one who'll need luck, Nemo!" She hissed and he caught her fist in mid air and twisted it behind her back. She slammed the heel of her boot down onto his foot, making him gasp with pain and shove her roughly away from him.

"Bitch!" he spat and grabbed a fistful of her hair, making her wail and rain punches down on his stomach.

And so the fight went on, they met each other at every blow, hit for hit, kick for kick, neither of them gaining any headway. But both were fasting running out of energy. Pinning one another to the floor, only to be pushed back, they were too evenly matched

And they were enjoying it too. Ghost hadn't had a fight so exhilarating for years, namely the last time she and Hannah had a fight. And Kai always enjoyed a good fight.

After a while Ghost pulled back, breathing heavily, but a grin still on her face, even though the blood rolled down her face from several cuts. And the skin around her left eye was starting to turn purple from a particularly nasty blow.

Kai stood a few steps away from her, his hands on his knees as he panted to catch with breath. He looked up at the girl with a worn out smile. "Last hit, whoever is still standing wins"

"Then prepare to lose" Ghost lunged at him, and the last thing she saw was a fist heading towards her face.

She hit the floor with a thud, totally out cold. Kai lying unconscious on the floor next to her. A draw.

Everyone who had been watching began to emerge from their hiding places. Walking back into the room from where they had been watching from around door frames.

Hannah wandered out of the cell and sat on the floor next to Ghost. She tapped a nail on the side of girls head, making a clicking sound with her tongue. "Out cold" She announced, "Who won?" She set her imploring eyes upon the other people in the room.

"Neither of them" Tala was the first to speak, everyone was sort of in shock, not expecting Kai to fall like that.

"So…" Hannah began, "What happens to us?"

"Well I guess you have to stay here" Rei said quietly, walking forwards to inspect the wounds on the two fallen teens.

Hannah stood up quickly. "But why? You didn't win!" Hannah pouted and looked upset.

Daichi was quick to stick his foot into the situation. "But neither did you! You can't leave unless you won!"

Hannah frowned, "But I don't like it here, and I don't think Ghostie does either"

A groan from the floor diverted everyone's attention. Kai was waking up.

Tala held a hand out to the groggy boy, "You ok, Blue?" Kai took his hand and pulled himself up, holding a hand to the side of his head.

"Just peachy" came the short reply, "Who won?"

"Well you were the first one up, so, you I guess" Tala said slowly, eying the girl still laid on the floor.

Hannah looked up at them angrily, "But that's not fair!" she cried, clearly outraged. "It was a draw!"

"I said last one standing!" Kai snapped at the small girl, "I'm the only one standing, therefore I win"

Hannah growled at him, "You cheated"

"How! She's still down! Look! She's right…there…" Kai looked at the place on the floor where the white and green haired girl should have been.

Rei looked all around him, "Where'd she go?"

A startled shout from behind them alerted everyone. "DIZZY!"

Tala looked over at the small brunette, "What is it Kenny?"

"Dizzy's gone!" Kenny panicked, "That vampire must have taken her! She can't have gotten out! Find her!" He demanded, looking ready to tear his hair out.

"Um excuse me?" A small voice stopped all activity in the room; they all turned to look at the small brown haired girl, stood grinning in the middle of the room.

Hannah gave a small laugh and pointed to the entrance, the metal grate slightly ajar.

Tala stared at the grate, "How did she get through that with no one noticing!" Hannah just laughed in reply.

Kai immediately took control of the situation, "Everyone in the sewers now! We'll get that girl before she ever sees daylight! Ozuma and Bryan! You stay here and watch over the other one!" He commanded, "Move out!"

Hannah soon found herself shoved back into the holding cell as she watched the room empty save for two boys left behind to watch over her. One of them had bright emerald eyes with black and red hair, which the other had pale lilac hair with eyes to match and extremely pale skin.

"So, you boys wanna play a game?"

Ghost ran through the sewers silently, quickly leaving the underground base behind. She pulled herself up the nearest drain cover, even though it led her out into the middle of the street. Running through the traffic, she finally reached the apartment in which Hannah and herself had been staying.

Putting the laptop down on the coffee table, she opened it and went off to find something to clean her cuts with, they stung like crazy.

"Hey Kenny, what can…Kenny? Hello?" The sharp female voice sliced through the silence, the small camera on the side of the screen swiveled on its pin to sweep all around the room. It stopped on Ghost as it caught sight of her. "Hey, who are you? Where's Kenny!"

"Not here" Ghost said bluntly as she sat down in front of the laptop with a roll of bandages in one hand. "Now spill, voice in a box, who are you?"

"Who are you calling voice in a box! I have feelings you know!"

"You're a computer"

"But I'm a special computer" The voice said, "My name is Dizzy"

"Ok Dizzy, now I want some answers, what do you want with us?"

"What makes you think I'll tell you?" Dizzy said snootily.

Ghost, blunt and straight to the point as always, "We're in a 5th floor apartment, there are windows"

"Ok, you win" Dizzy said after a moment or two, "Kenny thought you may have been a new breed of vampire, he wanted to conduct a few experiments on you, to see what we were up against"

"Who's this we?"

"A small group of orphans, part of a group formed by the genius who owns me, you may know him as Kenny" Dizzy said proudly, most likely having forgotten that she was talking to an enemy. "We fight vampires on the streets and save lives!"

"I see" Ghost said rather blandly, having tired of the hero speech, "Why was this genius of yours so shocked to find out we're only half breeds?"

"Well," Dizzy began hesitantly, "We've never encountered half breeds before, this is sort of new ground for us"

"You do know that psycho ain't coming within a two meter radius of me" She said matter-of-factly, wrapping a bandage around a particularly nasty cut on her forearm.

"He's not a psycho!" Dizzy snapped quickly, "He's just…" She seemed to be searching for an appropriate word, "…easily excitable"

Ghost snorted, "Yeah, whatever" She felt something hot running down her face, she lifted a hand a wiped away the thin trail of blood running from her nose.

"What happened to you anyway?" Dizzy asked, sweeping the camera over Ghosts wounds.

"Kai" She said shortly, and pushed her hair backwards away from her face.

If laptops could double take, Dizzy surely would have. "You fought Kai! Where? When? Why wasn't I switched on! Who won?"

Ghost closed her eyes and ran a hand tiredly across her eyes, "Too many questions, slow down" She ran her index finger down the bridge of her nose. "I don't know who won, we both passed out at the same time"

"Whoa, never thought I'd see the day" Dizzy started, "When Kai didn't win a fight"

Ghost yawned, "He's not so tough"

"Well, I must congratulate you on that Miss…I'm sorry I don't know your name?"

"Ghost"

"Ok, congrats Ghost…" The camera swiveled around the room, "Where's your friend?"

"Back at your underground lair thing"

"You left her?"

"She's old enough to look after herself, besides, I'm going back there"

"Why did you go to all the trouble of stealing me? Threatening to drop me out a window? Only to take me back again?" Dizzy's voice had gained a sharp edge to it.

"I was hoping to trade you in for Hannah" Ghost began thoughtfully, "But I want a rematch with Kai first"

"Trade me? Why you-" Any further protests she may have made were lost as Ghost clipped the laptop shut, and went through to grab a few things and stuff them into a bag.

A few moments later she was off again, winding her way through the back alleys of the city. She stopped suddenly.

She felt something cold being pressed against the bottom of her back, and a body very close to hers.

She could sense the figure had a leering grin plastered across their face. "Give me those things, human, and maybe I'll let you live"

Zombie: Ooo

Johnny: Ghost's gonna hate you

Zombie: why?

Johnny: Cliffhanger

Zombie: oh….reveiw!


	6. Chapter The Sixth

Zombie: ooooooooo

Johnny: what?

Zombie: just…ooooooooo

Johnny: ; you're too weird

Zombie: oooo!

Johnny: just shut up and write!

* * *

Ghost froze when she felt something hard and cold being pressed against the small of her back.

"Didn't you hear what I said, human? The leering voice said again, jabbing the weapon into her back again, "Turn around slowly, and give me the laptop"

Ghost just growled and turned around slowly, looking up at the man. He was tall, dark haired, and needed a shave, and stank of alcohol and cigarettes. Ghost wrinkled her nose against the offending smell, and clutched the laptop tighter to her body.

"That's it" The drunken man said slowly, swaying a little under the influence of the drink. The two things that caught Ghost's attention about him, were the two razor sharp teeth protruding over his bottom lip, and the shining black gun gripped tightly in his right hand. "Now hand it over, like a nice little girl"

Ghost sighed, "Why do you have a gun if you're not going to use it?"

The drunken man looked confused for a few moments, and then Ghost's words seemed to register in his addled mind. "So you're a vampire too? Damn there goes my fun" he grinned, "I may get to use this baby after all, I only use it to scare feeble humans. No one believes in vampires anymore"

Ghost's finely tuned ears detected a tiny rustle in the shadows to her right, she didn't move though, she knew who it was.

The reddish brown eyes watched the pair from the darkness; he knew that Ghost knew he was there. The other guy didn't though.

"Now hand over that there laptop before I let the sunlight into your body" The man waved the gun in her face threateningly, not very stable on his feet.

Ghost stepped backwards from the guy, and turned to walk away.

"Hey!" Ghost was surprised the man wasn't slurring his words, he was drunk enough, "Where do you think you're going! Do you want a hole in your head!" He lunged at her, barely missing her as she twisted to the side.

He crashed to the floor, not pleased. Growling loudly, "Now you've gotten me mad, girl. I gave you the chance to hand it over, but now it looks like I'll just have to take it myself" he got to his feet and turned to face her. "What are you grinning at girl?" A confused look passed over his face.

"Say goodnight, fatboy!" Ghost lunged forward and slammed the palm of her hand into the guy's chest.

He didn't fall over, just stood there. "What did you just-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as every fiber of him exploded into sparkling dust motes that danced around Ghost.

"Thanks for that, Nemo" She said quietly, and threw the wooden stake back into the shadows, where a certain slate haired teen caught it and pushed it back into a hidden pocket, he walked forwards into the clearing.

"That was a nice shot"

"I've had practice"

"Do you enjoy it?"

"Enjoy what? Making bad guys explode? Sure I do"

"Hm, we could use someone like you on our side" Kai said thoughtfully.

Ghost looked at him, "I don't take sides" She said matter-of-factly.

"I think your killing that guy, just took a side for you"

"So let me get this straight," She started, speaking slowly to get her point across, "You take me and my friend to your base, lock us in a fucking cage, fight me, and then expect us to work with you?"

"Basically, that's about it"

Ghost raised one eyebrow questioningly, "Well I can't question your honesty, "Take me back to the base, and I'll consider it" She shifted the laptop to lean on one hip, it really was quite heavy.

"Fine, what's in the bag"

"None of your damn business"

"Ok Ok, calm down, follow me, oh by the way you haven't broken the 'Sarcasm in a Box' have you?

"No why?"

"Just checking, don't want Kenny to murder you as soon as he sees you"

"Oh"

* * *

Hannah was bored. She leaned her head against the bars and hooked her arms through them. She yawned widely as she watched the two boys sat at the table across the room, playing cards, and bluntly refusing to interact with her.

She stifled another yawn, "whose winning?" She said tiredly, her eyes half closed with fatigue.

"None of your business, Vampire" The boy with red and black haired said sharply, she knew him to be called Ozuma.

"My name is Hannah you know; it wouldn't hurt you to use my name"

"Ok," Ozuma said quietly, "Stay out of this Hannah, you are distracting."

"Charming," Hannah snorted; she started humming to herself as she watched the two boys play.

"Can you be less annoying?" The lilac eyes boy said tetchily, clearly pissed off, "We're trying to concentrate here"

"What else am I supposed to do? I'm bored! And you won't entertain me! So this is your fault!" Hannah pouted and drummed her fingernails against the outside of the metal door.

Bryan just glared at the small girl and tried to continue with the game. It only went on for a few more moments before Bryan had had enough. He got up from the table and slammed his fist against the metal door, barely missing Hannah's hand.

A slow grin spread across Hannah's face, "So you do want to play"

Any sarcastic response Bryan would have thrown back at her was lost as the metal grate was flung open with such a force, that it rebounded off its hinges and tried to bounce back into the entrance, until a hand shot up and caught it before it slammed onto their heads.

Ghost jumped up through the hole, the laptop still clutched tightly to her. Ozuma shot up from his seat and Bryan turned quickly to face her.

"Calm down you guys" Another voice floated up the hole, and Kai soon joined them in the room. Ozuma and Bryan seemed to visibly relax as the other teen entered the room.

"Hey Ghostie!" Hannah waved happily to her friend. "I didn't expect you back so soon!"

"Hey Han" Ghost nodded to the smaller girl, she shook her head and more of the dust motes came loose from her hair and made the room glitter.

Hannah stared transfixed at the motes, "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yup"

"What happened?"

Ghost took a deep breath and relayed the tale to dark eyed girl.

"I hate people like that" Hannah said quietly.

"Yeah me too," Ghost began; she elbowed Kai in the side. "Ok let her out now, I brought back your voice in a box"

"Ok, fair deal" Kai said simply and gestured for the two boys to open the door to the cell.

Both of them just stared at the slate haired teen as though he had suddenly sprouted horns and a tail. "Are you crazy?" Bryan said bluntly, folding his arms over his chest.

"We made a deal" The white and green haired girl said quickly, "The box for Hannah"

"You made a deal with a vampire, Kai!"

Ghost growled at Ozuma, "HALF vampire" She said harshly, "And what's so bad about that? Don't stereotype us, Boy, or you'll regret it!"

Kai walked forwards and unlocked the door, then taking a few steps back from it, letting it swing open and bounce gently against the wall.

Hannah walked through the door into the main room, stretching luxuriously and yawning. She looked through half lidded eyes at Ghost, "S'up?"

Ghost looked at her sidelong, "Have you been sleeping?"

"Surprisingly no, considering how bored I've been!" She gestured vaguely towards the two boys stood behind her, "No thanks to these two!"

Ghost just smiled at the other girl.

"Ok, I'm out now, let's go home!" Hannah flashed a peace sign at the boys and took a few steps towards the exit.

Ghost smiled at her friends childish behavior and followed her towards the grate, having put the laptop down on a nearby table.

They all stopped when Johnny's head appeared through the grate, walking up on ladder. "Sorry Kai, we haven't found them" he climbed up through the hole, followed by Tala and a few other boys, totally oblivious to the two girls stood behind him.

Tala half turned and saw Hannah out of the corner of his eye, "Uh Johnny?" He pointed when the Scottish boy turned to face him.

"Huh?" Johnny turned in the direction Tala was pointing and gasped at he caught sight of the two girls. "They're escaping!" He yelled and dived on Hannah, who screamed as she was squashed against the floor. "Someone grab the other one!" He pinned the tiny girl's wrists to the floor. "What are you all waiting for?"

Kai just sighed and rubbed his temple, "I let them go, Johnny"

"You…what?" Johnny's face was a look a pure confusion.

Tala and Rei started laughing, and soon set off everyone in the room, except for Ghost, who just watched them with a stony expression.

"Hey!" Johnny's confusion only seemed to grow, "What's so funny!"

"Rather compromising position, don't you think Johnny?" Tala smirked at the hapless boy, who blushed a shade darker than his hair when it finally clicked what they were laughing about.

"Comfortable?" Hannah smirked up at the boy who was pinning her down, "Do you think you could get off me now? You're quite heavy"

"S-S-Sure!" Johnny couldn't get away from her fast enough, his face still redder than his hair. Hannah picked herself up off the floor and brushed the dust off her borrowed clothes. And turned towards the exit again, shaking her head softly, muttering in soft tones.

"How do we know that you just aren't going to carry on killing innocent people as you have been doing?" Rei asked quietly, staring straight into Ghost's eyes.

"I guess, you'll just have to guess won't you"

"Wait!" Ghost stopped at the outburst and turned to Kai, "I thought you were going to think about it"

"I have" She said shortly, "See you around, Nemo" and she disappeared down the hole after her friend.

"Why'd you let them go?" Tala looked at the slate haired boy.

"It was a trade, Dizzy for the midget, don't worry Tala, we'll see them again."

* * *

Zombie: Well that was...shit

Johnny: Yup

Zombie: �� You aren't suposed to agree, but i supose it is in all honesty

Johnny: ;


	7. Chapter The Seventh

Zombie: Hey guys! I have returned!

Johnny: Oh lord…

Zombie: -waves katana- Don't make me hurt you

Johnny: o.o oh how wonderful to see you Zombie!

Zombie: better

* * *

Hannah waltzed along the darkened streets of the city, humming a low melody to herself. Her green eyed companion followed about five paces behind. Her hands stuffed into the pockets of the jeans.

"What's in the bag, Ghostie?" Hannah asked as she swung herself around on a lamp post.

"Weapons" Ghost said, "Just in case they tried to make us stay". "You look pretty strange in those clothes…but you seem pretty comfortable in them" She nodded at the unlikely attire on the smaller girl.

"Meh," Hannah said carelessly, "They're quite comfortable, and they smell nice" She grinned at her friend. "Besides, you aren't making much effort to get out of those clothes either" Hannah snickered softly to herself.

Ghost shrugged, watching the other girl spin and twirl with an invisible partner. That girl was a few sandwiches short of a picnic, actually, Hannah probably only had the basket, just air on the inside.

It was just starting to rain when they arrived back at the apartment, making soft pattering noises and leaving distorting streams down the windowpanes. Hannah ran straight through the room and into one of the rooms on the other side. Ghost just stopped inside the door frame.

"Something isn't right…" She thought out loud. Her meadow green eyes sweeping across the room and back again. Not finding anything out of place or wrong, she tentatively stepped into the room and placed the bag down on the table, she opened it quickly and pulled out a long thin blade, all the while casting a wary eye around her. She walked over to the door through which Hannah had disappeared through. Poking her head around the door frame she called out quietly. "Han?"

"Looking for this, half blood?" A harsh sounding voice said behind her. She spun around on her heel to see a face she had hoped not to see again for a very long time.

A tall man stood in the doorway to the apartment, cold blue eyes stared at Ghost through black rimmed glasses from under floppy strawberry blonde bangs.

For a slender looking man, he was incredibly strong. Dressed in a formal manner, smart black trousers, white shirt, top few buttons undone. Looking every inch the respectable man…too bad he was dead…and evil…this was proved by the unconscious dark haired girl hanging limply from his grasp. Hannah.

Ghost glared at the intruder, "What do you want, Toshi!" She spat angrily, all the while knowing exactly what the older man wanted.

The blonde man tipped his head to one side, a smirk playing over his lips, "Don't get excited, little Ghost, I'm only here for my money, I trust you have it?" He looked at her expectantly. "That is unless you want to come back with me?"

The glower fell from Ghost's face like an anvil. "…How'd you find us, Toshi?"

Toshi tipped his head back and supplied a short sharp laugh. "Did you honestly think you two could run from me? I've been tracking you two ever since the day you left my home"

Ghost's eyes widened as Toshi continued to speak, "I know everything that you've been up to these past few months, and I must say I'm disappointed in you, that fight should have been child's play for you!"

Ghost turned her head to side, not bringing herself to look into those cold blue eyes, she didn't speak.

"After all I taught you," He said slowly, "I'd have thought you could handle one street kid"

Finally finding her voice, she turned to look back into the man's face. "It's not for you to be disappointed in me" she said softly, "When we left, any responsibility you had over us was gone. We're not coming back"

The blonde man let out a deep sigh, sounding almost sad. "Ok, well it was worth a shot, now my money?"

"Ah…" Ghost turned away again, twiddling her thumbs. "We…kinda don't have it"

The smirk dropped from Toshi's face, "I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear that?"

Taking a deep breath, "We don't have it" She braced herself for the oncoming rant.

And on it came. Toshi lifted his other hand and rubbed his temple tediously. "I took you into my home, I raised you both! I lent you money…and you left me" He looked tired, and for a moment, it seemed to Ghost as though he actually looked older, just for a moment. But his features steeled themselves into an angry mask and his hands shook with pent up rage.

"And now, months later" His head hung forwards, his hair shadowing his eyes, "All I ask of you is to pay me what you owe me! Just one small thing!" His head snapped upright. His pupils had shrunk to tiny black dots.

Letting out a yell of anger, he flung his arms outwards. The small dark haired girl slid off his arm and slammed into the wall opposite, crumpling to the floor in a lifeless heap.

Toshi came running towards her, arms stretched out and his teeth gritted in his fury. Ghost didn't move, she couldn't, she seemed frozen to the spot. The feeling came rushing back into her body as her back hit the wall, hard.

The blonde man's hand was wrapped around her throat, pinning her to the wall, her feet dangling a foot above the ground. Her hands flew up and wrapped around the wrist just below her chin, trying to pull herself upwards just enough to breathe.

He leaned forwards and hissed in her ear, "And you can't even get that right!" His grip tightened and a rasping sound scraped its way out of Ghost's crushed wind pipe.

A slight groan behind him made Toshi turn his head. Hannah was waking up; the skin around her right eye was a nasty green and purple colour, forcing her eye half closed, and a painful looking gash running above her eyebrow, sending streaks of dark red down her face to drip off the end of her nose and chin.

"Ah, awake, that's good!" Toshi smirked again, "Listen closely Hannah" he said clearly, knowing the small girl couldn't see him. "Ghost and I are going on a small trip" Hannah swung her head around towards the source of the voice, her undamaged eye widened as it caught sight of the intruder.

"Remember Hannah, have my money ready for me" Toshi smiled at the girl on the floor, the smile dissolved into a smirk as his face swung around to face Ghost again. "The longer I'm kept waiting, the longer this trip will be"

Ghost tried to speak, but the only sound to crawl out of her throat was rasping, croaking noises that were more sounds then words. She felt a sudden rush of air into her lungs, for Toshi pulled his hand back. Only to slam it in towards her again, Ghost's head snapped back, knocking harshly against the wall behind her. The world before her eyes went black in an instant.

Toshi shifted the limp form of the white and green haired girl onto one shoulder and strode purposefully towards the door. The girl on the floor made a move to get up, trying to drag herself in front of the doorway.

A sinister chuckle rippled from Toshi's mouth, "Don't strain yourself, little Hannah, I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself"

He stopped next to the wriggling girl, and she continued to struggle towards the door, he crouched down next to her. Looking at her, feeling pride fill up inside of him as his eyes swept over his handiwork. The oozing gash, swelling eye, her left arm bent at an unnatural angle, clearly broken.

Smiling, he shook his head and let out a sigh, "Look at you, Hannah, what have you gotten yourself into this time? Does it hurt?" He reached out a hand towards her, watching her shy away from it, a whimper coming from her shaking form. "Well of course it does," Toshi answered his own question, "That human blood in you makes you weak, breakable even"

"Why are you doing this?" Hannah whispered in a small voice, still trying to drag her aching body away from the man.

"Me?" Toshi let out a short sharp barking laugh, "You make me sound like I am at fault! You and Ghost are the ones to blame for this mess!" He pulled himself up to his full height, "Get me my money Hannah, and I can promise you, neither you or Ghost will be hurt by me again!"

He swept out of the door, leaving it wide open, and strode off down the corridor, out of Hannah's sight.

After a few moments, Hannah moved, using the door handle she managed to pull herself upright into a sitting position, the broken arm cradled to her chest. She leant her head back against the wall, fat salty tears rolling down her cheeks and mingling with the drying blood.

She let out a shuddering sigh, "Why? Why'd you take Ghost? Papa…"

* * *

"Guys!" A loud female voice rang out through the old warehouse, "Troubles a-brewing!"

A yawning Daichi stumbled his way into the room, "Dizzi, why can't you just say things normally?"

"Because she watches too many old movies" Kenny supplied. The bespectacled boy was already typing away furiously on the keyboard of the laptop.

"Oh, pfft! And you don't?" Came the snarky come back.

"Stop distracting me, Dizzi!" Kenny's exasperated voice sighed, "Let me get a fix on the position"

Kai, Tala, Johnny and Rei were assembled in room, waiting for Kenny to finish his analysis, Rei had sent Daichi back through to the other room, he was too young for missions yet. All of them stood silently in the room.

"Ok…got it!" Kenny cried, turning his head towards, "There's a disturbance at Farley's Bank on the High Street, it's a single vampire, the police are already heading to the scene"

"Got it!" Tala disappeared down the manhole into the sewers, closely followed by Rei and Johnny, Kai was half way through the gap.

"Oh and Kai?"

He stopped and turned towards the smaller boy, who pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "Please try not to make a scene"

A very Kai-like smirk slid onto the slate haired boy's face. "No worries, Chief!" And he disappeared down the hole, the metal grate scraping across the floor and fell into place as Kai's hands pulled it down as he went down.

* * *

"I'm sorry miss! But you aren't old enough to take out a loan!" The exasperated bank employee was swiftly losing his patience with the young girl in front of him.

"But you don't understand!" The dark haired girl slammed her hand down onto the desk in front of her, "I need this money!"

"I don't care how much you need it, Miss! You are too young to take out a bank loan, please sit down and calm down or leave this store!" The man, aged in his mid 30s, snapped angrily.

The girl's eyes flashed dangerously, "Don't tell me to calm down! You can't tell me what to do!" She leaned across the desk and grabbed a fistful of the man's shirt with her fight hand and lifted. The man visibly paled as the grip tighten the collar around his neck, restricting his intake of air, he let out a strangled squeaky gasp.

The girl's hair shadowed her eyes and she yanked him forwards until he was little more than an inch away from her. "Don't you dare tell me what to do…" She said darkly.

The man, whose name was apparently Jimmy according to the name tag on his shirt, squeaked indignantly, "Violence is unnecessary, Miss…"

"Give me what I want, and you'll leave this place with your life!" Hannah hissed into the man's face, her teeth lengthening at an alarming rate and protruding over her bottom lip. The traces of recent tears had left angry red courses down her cheeks, and her left arm hung limply at her side.

"I can't!" The man pulled at her wrist desperately, trying to release the vice like grip. "I'll lose my job!"

"What's more important?" Hannah snarled up in his face, "Your job or your life?"

"Hannah!"

She whipped her head around to the source of the voice, to see the red haired boy she's met earlier, Johnny. "What do you want!" She snapped at him angrily.

"What are you doing!" The boy in question strode forwards, "Let go of him now!" His hand hovered over the stun weapon on his hip.

Hannah spoke more to herself than the employee called Jimmy or the red haired boy behind her. "Why is everyone trying to tell me what to do!"

Seeing she was distracted, Johnny reached out and wrapped his hand around the arm hanging by her side and pulled on it, hoping to pull the girl away from the terrified man.

Hannah's eyes widened in pain, and she dropped the man. She let out a screeching wail and whirled around to smack Johnny. But before her fist landed she was knocked to the ground by a blur of red and white.

Hissing as her head snapped back against the ground, she pushed desperately at the body pinning hers to the ground.

"Calm down, Girl!" A familiar voice shouted at her, and her eyes snapped open, the pupils of her eyes spreading back to normal size and her breathing slowed down. It was as though the assault of voices raining down on her had brought her back to her former self. The rage in her heart was fading fast.

The sudden rush back to reality brought on a fresh torrent of tears and they streamed down the stricken girl's face and sobs wracked her body.

She felt a hand on her head, and everything swam back into focus, she looked upwards to stare into the golden eyes of the Chinese boy. "Rei…"

The graceful teen smiled down at her, "Welcome back"

"Do you have a healing touch or something, Rei?" Another familiar voice sounded to her left, she tipped her head to see the red haired teen she'd shot the day before, "Tala?"

Rei chuckled at Tala's question, "I wish!"

"Yeah, now what the hell is wrong with you!" The blue eyed teen looked down at her questioningly.

Taking a deep breath, "Papa took Ghost away…" She shuddered and pulled the limp left arm closer to her body, "He said…said if I don't give him back the money we owe him, I'll never see her again…" She closed her eyes as though the darkness made the problem disappear.

She felt a gentle hand brush against the tender skin around her eye, and her eyes opened again to look at him.

"Did he do this to you?" She just nodded.

"We'll help you…"

"We promise" A new voice resounded in the girl's head, she twisted her neck around to see Kai stood in the doorway, "No one deserves to be killed for money"

"Thank you Kai" Hannah sighed gratefully.

"So what's this guy's name?" Johnny asked loudly from his seat on the floor next to the unconscious bank employee, who had passed out as soon as Hannah's hand had left his throat.

"Toshi…Toshi Myung"

Tala looked upwards, "Now there's a familiar name"

Confusion flitted briefly across Hannah's face, "We'll explain later, just let me fix up that arm for you" Rei said softly. Hannah nodded and sank backwards into Tala's chest, fatigue finally taking its toll on her tired body.

* * *

Ghost woke up slowly. Groaning quietly, she lifted a hand and rubbed the back of her head ruefully. "Where am…" She began, "Toshi…" she growled, remembering the events of the day.

* * *

Zombie: -gasp- ZOMG!

Johnny: That's gotta be the longest one yet...

Zombie: -dies-

Johnny: Well...that was unexpected...read and reveiw people!


	8. Chapter The Eighth

Zombie: Whoa mate…

Johnny: …

Zombie: Don't start that again…

Johnny: Start what?

Zombie: -glares- Dumbass…

* * *

Ghost shot up off the soft bed, only to fall back to it in dizziness.

"Ugh, headrush" she murmured, holding her head and waiting for the room to stop spinning. When it finally did, she lowered herself to the ground.

"Slowly does it…" She said to herself, gingerly placing her feet down on the floor, "What is this place…?"

She glanced around the room, watching it swim back into sharp focus; she took a sharp intake of breath. "My room…" She whispered.

Everything was there, exactly as it was as she had left it six months ago. The skateboard propped up against the chest of drawers. The lighters and sharp objects littering the surfaces. She lightly touched the edge of the board with her finger, as though it would crumble into dust.

She picked up one of the knives from the sideboard, running her finger along the pristine silver edge. A slow smile spread across her face, she hadn't realized how much she missed the little things.

She quickly put the knife back down on the table. 'No, now isn't the time for the past!' she thought to herself, bringing herself swiftly back to reality. She had to think for the future, and right now, that future was to find Toshi.

She pushed lightly on the door, half expecting it to be locked, but it swung open silently. She stuck her head out and checked in both directions, no guards posted, but the security cameras were most likely watching her every move. 'Let them see' She thought, 'They can't do anything to me' And she walked swiftly through the long corridors where she had been so many times. She knew exactly where she was headed. She stalked past so many familiar faces on the walls, marble busts of important figures, cultural crap.

She finally reached the place she was heading for, a large oak door with a small gold plaque fixed in the front, depicting the word 'Great Library' in engraved lettering.

She wrapped her fingers around the ornate handle and pushed downwards, letting the door swing inwards.

The smell of musty books hit her senses as she walked into the room quietly. She'd always said the room had smelled of 'old', nothing in particular, just old. And it still did.

Skirting around piles of old books, just stacked in the middle of the room and waiting to be put back in their rightful place on the shelves. Old, slightly decomposed scrolls building up on desks, and even the rungs of the ladders attached to the book cases had books stacked at the edge of each foot hold.

She found the man she was looking for, exactly where she had expected him to be. The young looking man was sat with his legs crossed in a large purple arm chair, books of all shapes and sizes piled up around it. The man's blonde bangs fell forward as his icy eyes devoured the information on page after page through the black rimmed glasses. He didn't seem to notice her.

Ghost gave a light cough, standing at the side of a large bookshelf, leaning against the woodwork. The man didn't move, apart from to turn the page over in the heavy looking volume in his lap. She gave another small cough.

"Yes, Ghost, I can hear you" The man said loudly, still not looking up from the book.

"Why…" She began only to be interrupted.

"...Are you here?" Toshi finished her question; he raised his eyes from the book to look at the white and green haired girl. "Why as a prompt for Hannah to get my money faster."

"Why do you need the money, you have so much already and we don't even owe you that much" Ghost crossed her arms across her chest.

"It's not how much you owe me that matters, young Ghost" Toshi smiled to himself, pushing the glasses back up the bridge of his nose, "You should know by now, you're in debt to me, and I don't like unfinished business"

Ghost clenched her fists tightly by her side. "Stop that! Stop calling me those! I'm not a child anymore!"

"But you are, Ghost. You'll always be 16, no matter how many years you live; you'll be 16 years old forever."

Ghost glared at him angrily, the colour of her eyes shifting dangerously between green and red as various emotions battled one another to surface. "I am NOT a child, Toshi. Stop treating me as one." She back tracked quickly through the library, purposefully smacking her fist into a teetering pile of musty books on her way past, sending the volumes tumbling to the ground. She slammed the heavy door behind her.

Toshi watched her leave calmly from the comfort of his arm chair. He shook his head and smiled to himself. "Still as fiery as ever I see…" He returned his attention to the forgotten book. He knew he didn't have to hold the angry girl back, he knew she wouldn't try to leave.

* * *

"Stop squirming! How do you expect me to bandage this up if you won't hold still!" Rei felt like ripping his hair out, every time he made a move to touch the girl's broken arm, she wriggled away. He was so frustrated he was getting close to the point of asking one of the other guys to pin her down while he did it.

"But it hurts!" Hannah pouted at the first aider.

Rei rolled his eyes, "Of course it hurts, it's broken! And don't try that look on me, it doesn't work, I am immune to it, now if you don't hold still I am going to get someone to come and sit on you!"

Hannah's eyes widened dramatically, "But I do not want to become 2-Dimensional! I like being shaped the way I am!"

"Will you hold still then? It won't hurt" Hannah nodded slowly and turned her head away from the Chinese boy, closing her eyes. Rei took a hold of the arm, and twisted it sharply to the side setting it back in the right position. Hannah gave a small yelp as pain ripple up the abused arm, and dug her long nails into the arm of the chair she was sat on.

Rei quickly wrapped the bandages around the arm, holding it in place and tying a makeshift sling around the dark haired girl's neck. "See, all over" He smiled down at Hannah.

She glared darkly at him, "You said it wouldn't hurt"

Rei gave her a nervous grin and rubbed the back of his head subconsciously. "Uh…sorry?"

"Hey Hannah, catch" A voice said from behind her, she twisted around to see an low flying apple coming towards her at speed, it hit her on the head with a 'thok!' sound, sending her toppling backwards. Rei reached out and caught the apple as it rebounded.

Hannah lay dazed on the ground, while Rei turned to the laughing teen stood in the doorway. "Shouldn't you have given her a little more time to react Tala?"

"Maybe…but I expected her to catch it" Tala laughed to himself, watching the dark haired teen pick herself up off the floor. She staggered around a little bit, grabbing hold of the arm of the chair for balance.

"Frigging…ow…" She murmured, pressing a hand against the side of her face. She felt a hand wrap itself around her wrist, steadying her, she opened her eyes to look up at the red haired boy.

Tala held the retrieved apple in front of the small girl. "Sorry" He said softly and placed the apple in her hand. The he turned and walked out the room, and was gone as quickly as he had appeared.

Hannah wandered through into the main room, where Kenny was, as usual, sat with his laptop open on the desk in front of him. Kai was laid sideways across a threadbare looking arm chair, eating what looked to be a piece of fruit of some sort. She walked up behind the brown haired boy, her bare feet making no noise at all on the wooden floor. She looked over his shoulder onto the screen. She gasped when she saw what was displayed across the screen.

"That's Toshi's house!" She exclaimed, pointing at the screen.

Kenny almost had a heart attack. He gave a small shriek of shock and fell of the chair, hitting the floor with a thud. He lay on the floor, breathing heavily and holding a hand to his chest. Hannah leaned over him, her hair falling forwards. "Why is Toshi's house inside the box?"

Kenny gripped the edge of the desk and pulled himself up shakily. "Are you trying to kill me! Don't ever do that again!" He pulled himself back up and sat down heavily in the chair, leaning backwards into it.

Hannah gave a small laugh and apologized to the brunette. "So why is Toshi's house inside this box thing?" She tapped her nail on top of the laptop.

Kenny brushed her hand away from the machine irritably, "This 'box thing' is a piece of highly sensitive equipment. I wouldn't prefer it if you didn't touch it"

The female voice returned to the room, the small sound wave bar on the screen bursting into life. "Don't be so dull, Kenny! I honestly don't think she can break me, hi there! My name's Dizzi!"

Hannah stared at Dizzi in wonder, "It…talks? Uh…Hannah, my name's Hannah"

"Do you even know what a computer is?" Kenny asked the dark haired girl, frustration creating an edge to his voice.

"Sure I do!" Hannah beamed at him, and Kenny let out a sigh of relief. "It's a box with buttons!" Kenny fell back to the floor in exasperation, face faulting.

Dizzi let out a snort of laughter, "Looks like you have some work ahead of you Kenny" A loud beep emitted from the speakers, "Scan complete Kenny, there's an entrance into the mansion from a small window into what seems to be a wine cellar. There's no lock on it, but it isn't very big"

"Very good Dizzi" Kenny picked himself up off the floor and brushed some invisible dust off his clothes.

"I could have told you that" Hannah said quietly, looking at the pictures of her old home flash on the screen, the said entrance highlighted. "That window's tiny, I'm not sure even I can fit through it anymore"

"I'm sure you'll manage" Came Kai's voice from behind her, Hannah turned to face him, she'd forgotten that the bluenette was even there.

"After all, Ghost's life is on the line here, and you're the only one who knows your way around that place, you'll have to let us in another way" The slate haired boy said, looking at Hannah from the corner of his eye.

"Yeah…I guess you're right"

* * *

"GYAH!" Ghost screamed as she punched and kicked at a hanging punch bag in the gym of the mansion. She'd been in here for half an hour already and was beginning to tire. She was so frustrated at the man in the library. God, how she hated him.

As Toshi's face arose in her mind with the memories, Ghost began the hurl herself at the punch bag with renewed strength, pretending it were the blonde haired man in front of her and not a leather bag full of stuffing.

After about ten minutes she had to stop, she walked over and dropped to the floor. She leant back against the wall; it was cool against her heated skin. She rested her head against it, so many memories were surfacing after returning to this place. Good ones and bad ones.

She remembered herself and Hannah running through the corridors of the mansion as children, grins plastered on their faces, the whole house was their playground. Toshi was always there to watch over them and keep them out of trouble.

And she also remembered Toshi taking them out with him on their very first hunt. Nothing could have prepared them from taking a life like that. They'd read about it, heard about it and even seen it done, but doing it themselves was an entirely different matter. She could remember Toshi's face as he smiled down on them with pride while he watched then drain the very life force of their victims.

A shudder ran through Ghost's body as she remembered killing that young boy, feeding on the lives of others in order to live. She wished she could just erase her vampire heritage, save her the depression and disgust every time she killed somebody, just to keep herself alive.

Toshi had always been there. He had looked out for them, taken in the two small children and raised them as his own. It had been a perfect family situation. Ghost thought to herself. Why did it have to go wrong?

She had learnt the hard way, discovering that Toshi was not the loving and caring man she had always thought he was. She had made a friend, outside of the mansion. She smiled softly to herself as she remembered the young boy she had befriended.

"Dai…" she said softly. Large blue eyes, floppy brown hair and a huge grin. He had been a best friend. They had hung out together during the day, out in the sun, when she knew Toshi couldn't follow.

Toshi hadn't been happy when he found about Dai, not happy at all. He didn't want Ghost to have any friends who weren't like them, said how could you become friends with the species upon which you prey?

He told her to kill him, brought Dai into a room and stood there just watching her, waiting for her to kill the terrified young boy. But she had refused. She couldn't kill the young boy.

And so he had hit her. Toshi had lashed out at her and slapped her, hard. Ghost winced at the memory as though she could still feel the sting of the slap on her cheek. She remembered Toshi yelling at her, that she had disobeyed his orders and needed punishing. She watched Toshi kill Dai. He killed him in front of her.

Her breathing increased and she screwed her eyes shut tightly, trying to shut out the memory. But Dai's eyes still stared at her imploringly in her head, she watched them grow dull and glaze over as Toshi drained the boy of his life. Dai had never stopped looking at her.

Ghost's eyes snapped open again, and the memory vanished from view. She panted heavily from the intensity of the vision and rubbed her hand lightly across her brow, her head was pounding.

Coming back to this place had brought back things she wished she could just forget.

Leaning her head back against the wall she closed her eyes again and said softly to anyone who could hear.

"Oh God, somebody get me out of here…"

* * *

Zombie: whoa, a bit of angst there

Johnny: you should know…you wrote it

Zombie: pfft, I know that, Read and Review people!

Johnny: Flames are ignored…

Zombie: HAI!


	9. Chapter The Ninth

Zombie: -cackles- I return!

Johnny: Zombie doesn't own any of the characters other than Hannah, Toshi and Dai, Ghost belongs to herself, and she doesn't own Beyblade…thank god.

Zombie: What's that supposed to mean? And why have we started doing disclaimers now? We haven't done one for ages.

Johnny: That's the point, you need one.

Zombie: Spoil Sport.

* * *

"Mou…" Hannah looked at herself in the mirror, "Why do I need all this stuff?" The bloodied t-shirt and shorts had been replaced with a black all-in-one suit, reminding her of a cat suit but with a hood at the back, with a sleeveless dark green jacket over the top, a metal belt slung around her hips complete with a holster. A pair of buckled combat boots on her feet, her hair swept up into a high ponytail and a communicator strapped to the front pocket of the jacket. "I feel like I'm in the army"

"This suit is of the latest technology" Kenny filled in. "When you walk you'll make no noise…"

"She doesn't make any noise anyway, Chief." Tala grinned at the brunette.

Kenny coughed, remembering his shock earlier, "As I was saying, no noise, the suit is formfitting so it can't catch on anything, making entry though small spaces easier, the holster can hold stun guns and that strap on your thigh holds stakes, so you'll be prepared for anything you may meet"

"And the communicator is for you to keep in touch with us and guide us through the place" Kai supplied. Kai, Tala, Johnny and Rei were each dressed in black slightly baggy trousers, a black shirt and a green jacket over the top, each with a communicator pinned to the pocket. All of them had the combat boots and weapons strapped to them too.

"Kenny will be staying here with Dizzi, we can contact him through these, and he can keep an eye on any thing that could cause a problem within the house. He'll keep us updated" Rei said while pushing a stun gun into the holster on his hip, he looked up at the dark haired girl.

Hannah nodded slowly, letting the situation sink in fully. "Are we ready to go?"

Tala nodded quickly, "We can take you through the sewers, the closest we can get you to the house is about 25 meters away, and you'll have to make your own way from there on"

Hannah smiled, "I can make it" She told them, "But you'll have to distract the dogs when I need you to get to the house, or they'll be upon you in a second"

Tala nodded slowly, "Ok, Johnny you can set up the distraction"

The flame haired boy hand flew up in a mock salute, "Already on it!"

"Let's go!" Kai spoke up and promptly disappeared down the manhole and into the sewers, closely followed by Johnny and Rei.

"After you" Tala said with a smirk on his face, gesturing towards the dark hole. Hannah climbed down the steps and was immediately swallowed by the darkness, she listened to the scraping sound as Tala pulled the grate shut somewhere behind her.

There was a fizzing sound somewhere up in front and the tunnel was illuminated by a low green light, a flare held in Kai's hand. "Come on people," He said loudly, "Move out!" and started to walk along the edge at the side of the dank, putrid sewer water, home to rats and other creatures. Hannah walked along silently, following the flickering green light.

* * *

Ghost awoke with a start, she was still in the gym, she hadn't known she had fallen asleep. She moaned and pushed her hand against her eyes, and then pushed it backwards, sweeping her long hair away from her face.

She felt something, a sudden chill in the air around her. Someone else was in the room. Leaping to her feet, she looked all around her, seeing no one, she rushed out into the corridor, the door had been opened slightly, the source of the draft.

She looked all around her warily, "Stop hiding from me!" She yelled.

"Why are you so wary, Ghost" Toshi's voice echoed around the room, "We've known each other for so long, we're friends. You know I won't hurt you unless you force me to"

Ghost almost choked, "Friends! Any friendship between you and me was lost long ago!" Ghost stared at him incredulously, "How can you even THINK that things are as they once were!"

Toshi didn't say anything, just leaned against the wall and looked down the corridor absently.

"Any ounce of respect I had for you disappeared the night you killed Dai!"

Toshi turned to look at her sharply. "You're STILL sore about that little runt?"

Ghost bared her teeth and let out a low growl, "He's no runt…" She hissed, the colour of her eyes shifting uncontrollably.

Toshi scoffed lightly, "Not a runt? He was a weak human, compared to you, weak hearted, I wasn't going to let you become the same as him, letting your humanity take over your body"

"You were a prime fighter, I trained you myself, a cold hearted killer, just as I always wanted you to be. I wasn't about to let one puny human ruin all my hard work" He stared directly into her whirling eyes. "His death was inevitable"

"You think I like what I am?" Ghost muttered darkly, her hair shadowing her eyes completely. "You think I enjoy taking lives in order to sustain my own existence!" She flew at him, raining punches down on the man's body at an inhuman speed. Toshi, taken off guard, took a step backwards.

"Do you think its fun watching the other kids grow up and live their lives" She swung her fist towards his face, "While I stay the same age forever!"

Toshi blocked her attacks, "You should feel honored, Ghost! You have what humans can only dream of, eternal youth!"

"You don't understand!" Ghost screamed as she lashed out on the older man, "I don't want eternal youth! I want a normal life! I want to grow old and die just like everyone else! I hate you!"

Toshi smirked, and continued to fend off the flurry of angry fists and attacks flying at him from all angles. "Come on, hit me, Ghost! Let that pent up anger take over!"

"Shut up!" She wailed and slammed her foot into his chest, knocking him off balance. "Just shut up!" She rocket her fist skywards, catching the bespectacled man under his chin, the moment lifting him off the ground and sending him crashing backwards.

Ghost stood in the middle of the corridor, her fists still raised in a fighting stance, but her breathing heavy and labored through exhaustion.

Toshi sat up slowly, supporting his body on one hand while he lifted the other and wiped away the small dribble of blood running down from his split lip. "Nice punch, Ghost" He said cheerfully. "You have been practicing"

Ghost watched him get up slowly, and brush the dirt of his clothes.

"But unfortunately for you, I know your every move" Toshi smirked down at the red eyed girl. "And I am stronger than you" And with that he smashed his fist into the girl's stomach. She let out a choked sound, as the blow knocked all the air from her body and sent her tumbling backwards.

She landed on the floor, hard. She lay on the floor, curled up into a tight ball, desperately trying to get her breath back. After a few moments her breathing calmed and slowed down, he slowly opened her eyes.

Toshi was already gone. Left her laying there amongst the debris of broken ornaments and shattered glass from a mirror she'd managed to swing her fist into. A small fragment of glass has made a small nick on her forearm.

Her hair fell across her face as she pushed herself up on one arm; she placed her hand over the small cut and wiped away the blood. She sighed heavily, she had done exactly what he wanted. He'd wanted her to get mad and fight him, he'd gotten her so riled up.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" She berated herself. How could she have been so blind as to not see it?

Her head fell to the floor in exhaustion, and from blood loss. But the blood that surrounded her body was from a much larger threat than the small nick on her arm. The blood was flowing freely from an open wound on her back, having gone unnoticed by the sleeping girl.

* * *

"Ok, Hannah, this is as far as we go" The dark haired girl felt a hand on her shoulder. That flare had died out a while ago, and so they had to feel their way along in the dark. The boys knew the sewers like the back of their hands, and so knew where and where not to put their feet. Hannah didn't have this advantage and had stumbled around a lot, even almost fallen in the sewer water, had it not been for a firm grip on the back of her belt.

Hannah couldn't even see her own hand in front of her face, it was so dark. Light flooded into the sewer pipe as a man hole above them was pushed up and to the side. Hannah winced at the bright light and held her hand up to her eyes.

"Up ya go!" Hannah suddenly found herself hoisted up into the air, she instinctively gripped onto the nearest thing to her.

"Ouch! Do you mind letting go of my hair?" Tala's slightly peeved voice came from below her.

"Do you mind giving me a bit of warning next time?" She shot back. "I'll see you again soon" She pushed herself upwards and scrambled out of the manhole and into the daylight, pushing the cover back behind her.

"And now we wait" Rei said quietly, after the tunnel had been plunged back into darkness.

Back on the surface, Hannah was hiding behind a hedge, she could see the small window clearly and it was only a short distance away. She just had to wait for the security camera to sweep around again. As soon as it did, she raced across the lawn, past several garden ornaments, and crouched down next to the tiny opening.

"Here goes nothing" she sighed and pushed her feet into the small gap. She twisted and pushed herself into the small room up to her waist.

"Shit" She said out loud as the camera started to swing back around. She pulled her stomach in as far as she could and pushed hard. She slid quickly through the window, to land with a hard bump on the floor inside.

"Ouch!" She hissed sharply, and pressed a button on the small black box fixed to her jacket. "I'm in" She said quietly into the microphone.

Kai's slightly distorted voice buzzed through the small box. "Ok, now find us a way in"

"Ok!" Hannah said back into it and took her hand off it. She picked herself up off the dusty floor and brushed herself down. She pushed the door open a fraction and peered down the well lit corridor outside. There was no one there, so she pushed the door open and slipped out into the corridor.

After about five minutes of wandering the corridors and avoiding security cameras, the strong smell of blood hit the small girl. Following the scent, she rounded several corners, wondering what form of torture had been used to spill so much blood from a victim.

She let out an audible gasp when she stumbled across the source of all the blood. She ran to the side of the girl soaked in her own blood. Ghost's white hair was mostly red from the liquid all around her, and her clothes were stained with it.

Hannah shook her friend by the shoulder furiously, "Ghost! Wake up!" She hastily lifted her hand to the communicator and fumbled with the buttons. "Hello? Hello! Is anyone there!" She called frantically into in receiver.

"What is it? What happened!" Johnny's voice called loudly back into the speakers.

"Ghost's hurt! Pretty bad! We need to get her out of here now!" Hannah choked back a sob; it was hard to see her best friend like this.

"Find us a way in there now!" Kai's voice said loudly and commanding down the intercom. Hannah just nodded, and said back into the box, "Get Kenny to guide you around to the back door" She switched the box off and leant down so her mouth was close to the other girl's ear.

"I'll be back soon, Ghostie, I promise. No dying on me thank you very much" She said half heartedly, even thought she knew the girl couldn't hear her. Laying the wounded girl's head back down on the floor gently, she got to her feet and took off down the corridor. No longer stopping to wait for the camera's to turn away, she just streaked past them, moving through the blind spots whenever she could, merely a dark blur across the camera screens.

She got to the back door and flipped the latches, flinging the door open to the boys on the other side.

"Follow me!" She said breathlessly, and turned to start running again in the other direction. She hadn't gotten two steps before she was yanked backwards by a firm hand on her belt.

"Hey!" She cried indignantly, "What are you doing!" She hissed at Tala who was holding her off the ground by her belt. "Put me down! We have to go to Ghost!" Her legs flailed wildly in the air.

"What's the situation first!" Tala gave her a shake. "We can't just go barging into a place like this!"

"There're no guards around! I haven't seen anybody! Now put me down right now before I bite you!" Hannah hissed angrily, and as a result was dropped abruptly onto the floor, rolling to the side to avoid falling on her injured arm. She scrambled quickly to her feet and took off down the corridor. The four teens struggling to keep up with her inhuman pace.

As Hannah flew down the corridors and slipped and slid around corners, one thought crossed across her mind.

'Please be ok, Ghost…'

* * *

Zombie: -gasp-

Johnny: You're evil…

Zombie: I know…REVIEW PLEASE!


	10. Chapter The Tenth

Zombie: Whoa mate…

Johnny: Stop talking and get on with the fic!

Zombie: Mou…spoil my fun why don't you!

* * *

Hannah slid around the final corner, not quite getting a grip on the floor before trying to slow down, she skidded sideways across the floor, placing one hand on the floor to balance herself.

She reached back and grabbed Rei's sleeve and dragged him forwards, near dropping him beside the blood soaked girl. "Fix her!" Hannah cried, "Do something!" She said desperately.

Rei nodded firmly, "I'll do all I can!" He rolled her over onto her stomach and began pressing dry cloths to the gaping wound in her back, desperate to slow down the blood.

"Johnny!" Rei called over his shoulder, "Hold her while I strap her up!" The red haired boy hurried forwards and held the limp girl off the ground, while Rei hastily wrapped wads and wads of bandages around her torso.

Hannah watched helplessly as her best friend was wrapped up like an Egyptian mummy and lifted carefully in Kai's arms, ready for the off.

"Hannah…" The whispered word was what Hannah had been waiting for, she rushed to the wounded girl's side.

Ghost's head was pounding and it hurt to even breathe, let alone talk. Her eyes were screwed tightly shut, but she still muttered something under her breath. Hannah leaned close to her friend to hear it.

Hannah pulled back, a serious expression on her face. "Don't you worry, Ghostie, I'll get it! Just promise me you won't die on me!"

A weak smiled flitted across Ghost's blood spattered face. An unspoken promise between the two girls.

Hannah took a deep breath and nodded. "Get her out of here, please" She said softly, "look after her until I get back"

Kai nodded, "But where are you…" Hannah took off like a bullet before he could even finish his question, "…going"

Tala was on his feet in an instant, pelting after the speeding girl. "We'll catch you guys up!" He called over his shoulder to the remaining three teammates.

Kai was the first to react, "Well you heard him, let's go!" He began to jog back along the way they had come. Taking care not to jolt the girl in his grasp. Rei and Johnny followed him silently, Rei keeping his eye on the girl to make sure nothing else happened to her. He wasn't sure she could take much more after that.

Hannah flew down the corridors faster than she had ever run. The sooner she got what she was looking for the sooner she could get out of that place. She was so deep in her thoughts she was running on autopilot, she didn't even notice the red haired boy racing to catch her up.

She swung her body around a corner by using a wooden banister and threw herself through the door to Ghost's room, suddenly finding herself surrounded by the belongings of the white haired girl. She flew over to the side boards and raved through all the objects scattered on the surfaces.

"Where is it? Where is it!" She mumbled to herself as she swept things off the desk and onto the floor. She yelped and winced as some of the knife blades sliced through her fingers and stabbed into her palms.

With a short cry of triumph she wrapped her fingers around the handle of a particular knife. It was the one Ghost always had with her, normally tucked inside her boot. But it had been left on the side with the others. It had an ornate silver dragon curling around the side of the handle.

She jumped to her feet and shoved the knife into one of the pockets on the green jacket. "Let's go back now!" She said, more to herself than anyone else, and she ran back into the corridor. She was about to take off down the corridor again when she caught sight of a door further down the corridor, it was slightly ajar.

"My room," Her brow furrowed as she whispered, "Who's in my room!" She strode down the corridor and pushed the white door open, stepping into a room she hadn't seen for a while.

Everything was still there, her clothes, her dolls, her books. "Who's in here?" She called out softly, taking another step into the room, her booted feet making no noise on the thick carpet.

"No one's allowed in my room without permission!" She said, a little louder this time, "A girl's room-"

"Is private?" A familiar voice finished her question for her. "Come now, I don't think that rule applies to me does it?"

Hannah swung around to face the blonde haired man standing in a dark corner of the room. "Papa…" She whispered, biting her lip as her hand hovered over the weapon strapped to her thigh.

"That's right, Hannah" Toshi walked forwards, Hannah took a wary step backwards, the man towered over her. "What are you doing sneaking around? You could have used the front door you know"

"Where's the fun in that?" The girl said quietly, staring up at the man.

Toshi let out a snort of laughter, "You haven't changed at all, Hannah, tell me, have you caught any of those critters yet?"

Hannah relaxed slightly, she allowed a small smile to flash across her face. She knew how dangerous a man Toshi was, but being in his company made her feel safe, and wanted. "Yeh" She said happily, "Smashed one into the wall!"

"That's my girl!" Toshi grinned.

"Am…am I not in trouble?" Hannah ventured hopefully, not wanting to anger the laughing man.

"Of course not, Imp." Toshi smiled at her warmly, using the nick name he had given her when she was a child, "Your return to me is worth more than what you owed me. I just wish that wretched Ghost would do the same"

The smile slid from Hannah's face like water, "Ghost…" The white haired girl's face arose in her mind, the blood dripping from the tips of her hair like rain drops.

"You hurt Ghost" Hannah stepped away from Toshi, the warm relaxed feeling slipping away rapidly.

"She needed to learn Hannah; can't you see that I was merely looking out for her?" Toshi stretched one hand out to the small girl, beckoning her towards him.

"Hannah!" A loud voice echoed up the corridor outside, Hannah's head whipped around towards the door. She looked hastily at Toshi and then back at the door, switching her gaze between the two.

Toshi's smile had faded and a stony expression replaced it. "A human." He grated out. "You brought a human into my house…" Toshi's fist was clenched tightly at his side, the knuckles were white and his hands shook with rage.

Hannah's eyes were wide with terror, he was angry…really, really angry. She started to back towards the door of the room.

He moved faster than anyone she had ever seen, one moment he was stood on the other side of the room, the next he was directly in front of her, hands gripping her jacket tightly. She had to stand on tip toe just to keep her feet on the floor.

"I hate humans" His voice hissed close to her ear. "You broke the main rule of the house, Hannah. I'm sorry, but…" His voice trailed off and Hannah felt a sharp pain push into her chest. Toshi stepped backwards and away from her, releasing her jacket from his grip.

"That is a crime worthy of the highest punishment" Toshi's voice warped slightly as her knees hit the floor, her hands pressed against her torso. She pulled her hands away and held them up in front of her face, he vision unfocused.

A sticky red substance covered her fingers, glancing down at her chest she tried to focus on the source of it. An object was sticking out of it, she ran her trembling hand over the object, unable to focus on it enough to see. Wood, it was made of wood. Her stake, he had pushed her own stake into her chest.

She opened her mouth, but the only noise to leave it was a strangled moan. Her body seemed to buckle under her and the little sight she had left was fading into black. The last thing she heard before all consciousness left her was this.

"I'm sorry…" And footsteps fading away. And then the black took over.

Tala hurtled along the corridor, frantically looking into every room that he passed. He slid to a halt as he caught sight of a blonde haired man with spectacles walking quickly out a room up ahead.

"Toshi…" He gritted out under his breath. As though he had heard him, the man up ahead turned sideways questioningly, "Hm?"

"Oh it's you, Tala Ivanov" Toshi said clearly, rolling the name around on his tongue. "I must say I didn't expect the girl's human friend to be you"

A small look of confusion passed across Tala's features, but he hid them quickly under a determined mask. "What have you done with Hannah?" He glared at the vampire in front of him.

"My, my, you have become protective of the imp haven't you?" Toshi looked rather amused, one hand in his pocket while the other laid on his chin, an absent smile on his face.

"Shut up and tell me where she is!" Tala yelled at Toshi.

"If you're that desperate to join her…" Toshi ran towards the red haired teen, whose hand flew to his hip. "That can be arranged!"

A loud 'bang!' ripped through the corridor, Toshi stopped and staggered for a moment, "What the…" He dropped to the floor.

"That's right, Toshi!" Tala smirked as he replaced the stunner in the hip holster. "Upgraded since you last saw them" He ran into the room Toshi had exited and a strangled gasp escaped past his lips as he laid eyes on the sight on the floor.

"No no no!" Tala pulled the dark haired girl's body up until she was half laid across his knees. "Don't you dare die, girl! Now wake up!" He gave Hannah a brief shake, wrapping his hand around the stub of wood sticking from her chest.

"Come on! You can't be dead! You'd be dust by now! If you don't wake up now, I'll yank this stake right out of your chest! Heh? Imagine how much pain that would cause" He lifted his hand from the stake and brought his fist down on her chest, not too lightly, but heavy enough to cause a rush of air through her body.

Hannah's eyes snapped open and she started coughing horribly. As the choking subsided, she looked down at the obtrusion in her chest, watching it rise and fall with every painful breath she took.

"Come on" Tala's voice said above her, and she felt herself being lifted into the air and set down on her own unsteady legs. Her legs buckled with the first few steps, but the red haired teen held her upright and pulled one of her arms around his shoulder. "Let's go see how Ghost is doing huh?"

Hannah didn't trust her mouth enough to make any noises that sounded even remotely like words at that time, so she settled for nodding. And she and Tala began a painstakingly slow pace through the house. After a few meters, Hannah's legs decided they could take no more and promptly buckled, refusing to operate. Tala merely swung one arm under her knees and picked her up into the air, quickening his pace. They soon made it to the back door, and escaped out into the daylight.

As Tala carried her out through the huge gates at the front of the house, he heard the revving of an engine to his right. He quickly swung his head around to face the sound, a sigh of relief escaped past his lips. If it had been an enemy he would have been so ended.

"Need a ride?" A certain Scottish boy called from the open window of a dial a ride minibus, he had a pair of shades perched on his nose and a cheeky grin on his face.

"Nice timing Johnny" Tala said, he sounded tired.

"Yeah well you know me" Johnny flashed a peace sign at the red head. "Now then…all aboard the bus!"

* * *

Hannah was jolted awake by bumpy movement. 'Earthquake!' was the first thought to flash across her mind, but when she opened her eyes; the ceiling to a vehicle was in front of her. She frowned at it 'what the hell?'

"Ah, good afternoon Miss Hannah!" An accented voice said to her left, she tipped her head to look at the Scottish boy. He was sat behind the wheel of the vehicle, a pair of shades on, looking rather cool.

She didn't answer him, just glance around the inside of the bus. She was laid across the two seats next to Johnny. She could see the other red haired teen at the back of the bus, asleep leaning against the window.

The bus shuddered to a holt and Johnny twisted in his seat. "Yo, Tala! Wake up, we're here!" The said boy jumped awake and almost fell out of the bus when the door was opened.

A girl with white and green hair was stood on the other side on the door, holding it open.

"Wha? Ghost?" Tala said slowly, blinking sleep out of his eyes. "You're up?"

"Yeah well I'm a fast healer." She leaned her said inside the bus and glanced along the aisle at the dark haired girl whose head was hanging upside down off the edge of the seat to look back at her. "What happened to you?"

Finally finding her voice, she said croakily, "What does it look like…"

* * *

Zombie: WOO

Johnny: Stop bullying them, damn you! But you made me sound cool so that's ok…

Zombie: Don't be so big headed…Review folks!


	11. Chapter The Eleventh

Zombie: Here I am! With another chapter for your enjoyment!

Johnny: Stop rambling and get on with it…

Zombie: XP My fic, my rules.

Johnny: Like I said…get on with it!

Zombie: o.o' Sir Yessir! –Scrambles away-

* * *

"I don't understand" Tala said slowly, sat down in the main area of the base. "I've never known even a full blooded vamp to heal as quickly as you"

"I'm not fully healed yet" Ghost shrugged, wincing as the movement pulled at the muscles in her back. "There's still a big hole in my back, but I do have accelerated rejuvenation to most creatures"

"I'll be fully healed in a few days" She finished. "But I have a question…how'd you guys know where I was?"

"We caught the dwarf creating a disturbance at the bank…" Kai started.

"What!" Ghost interrupted, "She tried to rob a bank!"

"Well…not so much rob it…" Tala smiled nervously, "as tried to bully the employees into giving her a loan"

"We brought her back here and Rei patched her up, and strapped up her arm" Johnny intervened. "Healer boy's in there now trying to get that thing out of her chest…"

As if a cue, an angry yelp came from the next room. Rei poked his head around the door, "Uh…little help in here please?" his head disappeared back around the door.

Tala stood up as Ghost made a move to stand, "I'll go" He turned to the white haired girl. "You're still healing" He said and disappeared through the door.

"What seems to be the problem, Rei?" The red haired teen asked the slightly frustrated looking Chinese boy.

"That stake is wedged tight!" He said angrily, "Every time I try to pull it out, I end up lifting her body too…I would pull harder, but it's so close to her heart I'm afraid of causing more damage." He ran a hand through his already messed up black hair, and tossing the bound ponytail back over his shoulder.

The dark haired girl was laid on one of the beds on the other side of the room, her breathing was heavy from exertion and her eyes closed against the pain.

"I want that thing out of her, Tala, I need you to pin her down by the shoulders" Tala nodded and moved to stand at the head of the bed, he placed his hands down firmly on the girl's shoulders. Avoiding pushing down too hard on the shoulder of her broken arm. "Ready when you are Rei"

Taking a deep breath, the black haired teen knelt on the bed next to the small body; he pinned her legs down with one knee and wrapped his fingers around the wooden stub.

Hannah's eyelids fluttered open and a confused look passed over her features as she looked at the red haired teen above her. She glanced down and saw Rei, poised over her with his hand on the stake. Knowing what was coming; she dugthe nails of her freeinto the bed sheets and twisted the fabric tightly against her fingers. The other arm laying prone at her side.

"On three…one…two…three!" Rei counted down, and placing the palm of his other hand flat down on Hannah's stomach, he pulled harshly at the stake.

Pain coursed through the brunette's body, a burning sensation spreading across her torso and along her arms, leaving a hot tingling feeling in her fingertips. She couldn't focus on anything other than breathing, so occupied herself by taking deep gulps of air. She could feel Tala's hands pushing down against her shoulders, pinning her to the mattress. Her fingers twisted deeper into the fabric, she could feel the material ripping away in her hand.

"Jesus Rei," Tala muttered, "Don't we have any anesthetic?"

"Nuh uh" Rei said quickly, his tongue stuck out of the side of his mouth in concentration, "If I had any, don't you think she would have some by now?"

And then it was gone, the pain, the burning, all gone. A calm feeling replaced it. Hannah opened her eyes but the only thing she could see was small star bursts of light. It was over, she sighed.

Or so she thought. With a final yank, the stake came free in Rei's hand, with a mortifying crunching sound. Hannah's lips split wide open as a scream spilled forth into the room.

* * *

Ghost winced at the sound of Hannah's voice wailing in pain. The final wail was so intense that the small red haired boy in the room, whose name she had discovered to be Daichi, pressed his hands over his ears and squeezed his eyes shut.

She sighed heavily when the golden eyes boy reappeared at the door, she hadn't realized she had been holding her breath. He had the bloodied stake clutched tightly in one fist, a wide grin plastered on his face.

"It's out!" He announced proudly, flashing a 'Victory V' at the others.

"She gonna be ok?" Kai asked monotonously, his chin resting on his hand.

"Yeah," Rei rubbed the back of his head, "Apart from the crater sized hole in her chest and a few broken ribs, she's ok"

The small red haired boy scowled. "Why do you guys care so much about these two?" He asked angrily, "They're still cold hearted vampires just like the rest of them!"

Ghost frowned on the boy, so much anger from one so young.

"Didn't you hear what Kenny said?" Johnny stared at the small boy, "They aren't regular vampires at all"

"Daichi," Kai looked at the said boy from his place at the table, "If they were so 'cold hearted'…would Hannah have been so desperate to rescue Ghost? They care for each other"

Daichi's scowl deepened, knowing Kai had made a valid point, not finding anything more to say, he shuffled out of the room and shut the door behind him.

"Thanks…" Ghost said quietly, looking gratefully at Kai. "I don't know how you people stay so calm, I'd have probably wanted to smack him by now for being so obnoxious"

"With practice" Kai flashed a rare grin at the white and green haired girl, and Ghost found herself smiling back.

"So, tell me about how you two are involved with Toshi" Kai said suddenly, making Ghost jump slightly.

"Well," Ghost said slowly, "He raised us, me and Hannah, we used to live in that mansion"

"Hannah was already there when I was brought into the house, I don't know how long she'd been there," Ghost smiled to herself, "And I don't think she does either"

Kai, Johnny and Dizzi listened aptly to the green eyed girl's every word. Dizzi was recording the conversation onto her hard drive, for later use.

"Toshi taught us how to fight; he raised us up as though we were complete vampires, he…he pushed back the humanity within us, pushed it back and made us killers…and we were happy. It was like a family"

"But…" A voice interrupted her story; it was Kai, "Why'd you leave?"

"Toshi just…pushed me too far I guess" Ghost shrugged, "I snapped and left, taking Hannah with me"

"Didn't she object to that?" Johnny questioned.

Ghost looked at him matter-of-factly, "If you think she's crazy now, you should have seen her then; she wouldn't have understood the reason why we left." The white haired girl looked away, "I…I think it was being in the mansion so long that made her insane"

She didn't mention Dai to them, she hadn't lied, but she hadn't gone into detail either. "And then after a few months, Toshi came after us, ya see…I kinda stole some money from him when we left, and now he wants it back."

"You wanted to know how Toshi and I were connected, well now you know; he was like a father to the both of us"

"That would explain why Hannah called him 'Papa'" Johnny mused to himself.

"Yeah…" Ghost said quietly, she stretched her arms upwards. She winced and let her breath out slowly as the healing tendons and tissue pulled and stretched.

Ignoring the dull pain, she pushed her arms out further. A sudden grip on her wrists diverted her attention. She looked up to see the slate haired boy holding onto her wrists, lowering them back down.

"Stop that" Kai said, "It's still healing, so don't cause more damage" He released her wrists and they dropped down into her lap.

"Alright, Dr Nemo" She teased, "I'll be good"

"Don't push your luck" The slate haired teen shot back, but a playful grin still on his face.

"Ooo" Ghost feigned horror, "So scary"

"And so it should be" Kai nodded to her, "Be afraid"

"Afraid? I'll take you on right now, and then we'll see who's scary"

"You're injured"

"So?"

"I'm not going to let you hurt yourself more, save the play fighting for another time"

"Pfft" She sunk down into her chair, "Fine, but that better be a promise"

Kai grinned at her, "Like I'd miss out on another chance to beat you"

"Keep dreaming!"

"Now, now children!" Johnny's voice intervened, "We'll have no fighting in the house! We don't want blood on the carpet" The Scottish boy grinned goofily and propped himself up off the floor on one elbow.

"You sound just like a mother hen, Johnny!" Ghost snorted with laughter.

Kai was struggling to hold back a laugh, "We don't even have a carpet you idiot"

Johnny grinned sheepishly, "Yeah well…you know what I mean!"

Rei walking into the room, drying his hands on a towel as he walked. "Ugh" he said as he dropped the towel onto a table, "I never got so much blood on my hands in one day before!"

"That bad huh?" Johnny rolled over onto his back with his arms behind his head. "You two girls must be worse than Kai and Tala put together!"

"We're not THAT bad!" Kai protested, folding his arms over his chest.

Ghost watched silently from the sidelines, signs of amusement dancing in her green eyes. The corner of her lips twitched as a smile tried to emerge.

Rei just laughed and threw the towel off the table at the slate haired teen, who raised his arms too late and the towel smacked him in the face. He pulled it off his face and glared at the black haired teen. When Rei's back was turned, Kai leaned over and gave the long braid a sharp tug.

"Ow!" Rei yelled, whirling round rapidly he smacked Kai in the upper arm. "I thought I told you not to do that!"

Kai only smirked in response. "Tala's the reckless one, not me" He said simply.

"Ah but you're the one who goes with him, Kai!" Johnny was bent double on the floor holding his stomach, in hysterics, "You're just as bad!"

Ghost started laughing at the antics of the three teens in front of her; she couldn't hold it in anymore. Laughter spilled through her lips, it felt good. She hadn't laughed properly for some time, not like this, it felt good to laugh again.

"Oh you think that's funny do ya?" She looked at the slate haired boy who had spoken. He threw the towel at her playfully, but she had caught it and hurled it back at him before he could even blink. The force of the cloth hitting him in the side of the head caused him to lose his footing and almost fall on his side. A low chuckled rumbled from his throat as a game of catch ensued, involving all four teens running around the room, using the rolled up cloth as a ball.

Tala chose this as the opportune moment to walk back into the room. He only got as far as the doorway when he stopped to watch the teens hurl themselves around the room after a rolled up towel.

"What the hell…" The game stopped and four pairs of eyes looked to the red haired teen who was laughing to himself.

"That was something I never thought I'd see!" Tala gasped in between laughing.

Kai glared at him playfully, "Shut up, Red" and threw the 'ball' into the side of Tala's head.

* * *

Zombie: Another chapter out of the way.

Johnny: And onto another one huh?

Zombie: Soon my friend...soon...

Johnny: >> Uh huh...Read and Review folks!

Zombie: I IGNORE FLAMERS! >D


	12. Chapter The Twelfth

Zombie: I was forced back here

Johnny: You were happy to…

Zombie: I know that, but I was still forced… S'a conspiracy…

Johnny: �� everything's a conspiracy with you

Zombie: ON WITH THE FIC!

* * *

About an hour later, the five teens had exhausted themselves, Tala having joined in the game. Only throwing towels had swiftly progressed to throwing paint. Turning into an all out paint war, decorating the room in the progress. Ghost looked like a rainbow.

The dark haired girl woke up in the room next door; she slowly opened her eyes and waited for the world to get back into focus. There was a dull throbbing at the base of her skull, feeling as though it was going to split her head in two.

Hannah carefully pushed her upper body up off the bed, trying not to dislodge any of the heavy packing on her chest that was holding her insides…well…in. She swung her feet off the edge of the bed, suddenly overcome by a rush of blood to the head; she propped her head up in one hand and swept the long dark bangs away from her face.

"Ugh…pain killers…please" She murmured to herself, waiting for the room to stop spinning enough for her to stand up. When it had, she levered herself slowly to her feet and, using the foot of the bed to support herself, wobbled over to the looking glass on the wall.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror, frowning at the damage caused.

A white bandage was wrapped around her head, her hair flopping over most of it. A black eye, and an intricate network of bruising all along her neck, a swollen lip. The white bandages wrapped around her useless arm, and the tight bindings around her torso. She really did look like she'd been in the war zone.

She sighed, glaring at the bruises and cuts wasn't going to make them go away. Although she wished it could.

Still gripping onto the end of the bed, she glanced at the sheets. "oops…" She said out loud as she looked over the once white sheets that were now covered with red splotches, her blood without a doubt and the shredded fabric caused by her fingernails.

Gradually finding her feet and sense of balance, she made her way over to the doorway, tripping over her own feet. Clinging to the door frame for balance, she peered around the door.

Five teen were lying sprawled around the room, Ghost included, all of them looking tired. Johnny and Tala were even asleep laid across one of the sofas in the room. Ghost swung her head around lazily to face the newly risen girl.

"Good to see you up, Han" Ghost grinned lazily at her friend.

"Thanks Ghost" Hannah replied in a somewhat cracked voice, her mouth felt like something had died in it. "Here" She held out her hand towards the white haired girl, who pushed her arm out to meet it.

Hannah dropped an object into the other girl's outstretched palm. Ghost fingers curled around the object, bringing it closer to her face to look at it, even though she already knew what it was.

She ran her finger over the silver dragon curling around the knife handle, and turned the blade so it flashed in the sunlight. "Thank you, I knew you would get it"

"Hey," Hannah gave a half shrug, "A promise is a promise…" She held her hand up to her mouth as she coughed harshly to try and clear her throat a little. "And a promise has to be kept" She finished, her voice a little clearer than before, but still sounding rough and hoarse.

"That's true…" Ghost mused, "But thanks anyway"

"Hey no problem, what happened in here?" Hannah looked around her at the multicolored walls of the room, and the paint splattered boys around her.

"Well it started out when Kai got some paint out of the cupboard…" Rei was the one to answer, he looked at her upside down, hanging his head over the arm of the chair he was laid across.

"Me? What are you talking about, you started it, you dolt" Kai shot back from across the room.

"Meh, whatever" Rei let the argument rest; he couldn't be bothered to even retaliate to the grey eyed teen.

"Heh, it's good to see you in colour for a change Ghost" Hannah grinned and gave one of the Ghost's bangs, one covered in bluey-purple paint, a small tug.

Ghost shrugged and pushed the smaller girl's hand away from her hair, "Don't get used to it." "And what about you? I'm not used to seeing you supporting the 'battered housewife' look"

"Oh this?" Hannah brushed it aside jokingly, "this is nothing, you shoulda seen the OTHER guy" She winked at the green eyes girl, who merely rolled her eyes in response.

"Speaking of which…what happened with Toshi anyway?" Rei asked suddenly, breaking the happy mood in the room.

"I'm not too sure…" Hannah said in a small voice.

"Probably waking up right now with a headache the size of Antarctica" Tala's voice said, waking up as if on cue.

"What did you do to him?" Kai quirked an eyebrow at the red haired teen.

A grin spread across Tala's face. "A full on blast from the new stunners…remind me to thank the Chief for those when he gets back!"

"Where is 'The Chief'?" Hannah asked quietly, placing one hand slowly on the back of Ghost's chair.

"Grocery shopping" Rei smirked, "He doesn't trust any of us enough to go and do it"

Tala laughed, "I don't think he even trusts anyone! He goes out with a stunner gun under his jacket, even if it is only to the shop around the corner."

Ghost smiled at the thought, that kid was way too paranoid, he should get out more.

"He's gonna flip when he sees this place" Rei nodded, "I say we buy him one of those stress ball things, or he's gonna have a heart attack very soon" The Chinese teen laughed.

"Another one?" Tala raised an eyebrow

Rei grinned sheepishly, "Or not…"

Totally oblivious to the conversation going on around her, Hannah busied herself by pulling at the bottom edge of the bandages strapped around her stomach, pulling out loose threads.

"Stop unraveling those" Tala's voice sliced into her content little world. Startled, she turned her face upwards to look at him.

He looked quite funny, with a purple streak of paint running diagonally across his face and various other colours splashed all over his clothes and hair. Hannah bit her bottom lip to stop herself laughing.

"You wanna keep your insides on the inside?" He looked so serious. It really contrasted against the bright paint splatters..

"Yeah I don't wanna have to strap you up all over again" Rei laughed from across the room.

Biting her lip further, she just nodded and moved away from the red haired teen. She pushed one of the dozing Scottish teen's feet off the sofa and carefully sat down, leaning backwards into the comfort of the seat. Johnny just slept on, with his purple bandanna sliding down to cover one of his eyes.

"I like the new colour scheme" Hannah mused to herself, glancing around the room.

Kai turned to face Ghost, he knew that if he wanted a straight answer she would be the one he had to talk to.

"Ne, Ghost?"

"Hmm?" The white haired girl turned to face him, her swirling eyes bored into his.

"Where are you two going to stay?" Kai asked casually.

"That's a point," Rei joined in, "You can hardly go back to your own place, Toshi knows where that is"

"Ne…" Ghost began slowly, thinking the words through in her head. "I hadn't really though about that yet…"

"Well, I just wanted to say…" Kai began, looking slightly uncomfortable under the girl's piercing gaze. "That you're welcome to stay with us"

"Really?" Ghost asked suddenly, "But what about your team mates? Not everyone would accept us here"

"Why's that?" A sleepy voice entered the conversation; Ghost looked at the Scottish boy, newly risen from his slumber.

"Think about it" Ghost said shortly and sent a brief glare at the red haired teen.

Johnny's eyes glanced upwards for a moment, seemingly concentrating. "Oh…" He said simply when the cogs in his head finally stopped whirring slowly and clicked into place.

Rei covered his eyes with his hand, but a smile still pulling at the corners of his lips. "Johnny…you are truly an idiot"

"Hey!" The said teen glared mockingly at the ebony haired boy. "You love it" He said with a grin. "But I'm not a total idiot…"

"Ok maybe a halfwit" Tala decided to join in the conversation, mocking the oblivious Scottish teen even further, "You may know it all when it comes to machines…but you have no commonsense"

Johnny glowered at the other red head. "Shut it" He said half warningly, half jokingly.

Ghost just shook her head and smiled. She could tell that these play fights and verbal wars were a regular occurrence for the arguing teens. The bickering continued, everyone seemingly knowing how to mock the Scottish teen further. They were right, Johnny was an idiot.

She glanced over at the dark haired girl on the other side of the room. She was curled up into the corner of the sofa, dozing peacefully with her head resting against the arm of the chair, blissfully unaware of the conversations and insults hurling around the room.

"So," Kai said to Ghost, ignoring Johnny and Rei's arguments going on behind him. "What say you?"

"I think…" Ghost said slowly, "I think I say yes," She nodded her head slowly, "Yes. We would like that" She finished firmly. "But I'm going to need to go grab some stuff from our apartment…I won't be gone long" She got quickly to her feet and pulled the trench coat off the back of the chair. She pulled it over her shoulders, wincing a little as the fabric brushed up against the tender skin of her back.

"Wait!" She stopped before she stepped onto the ladder leading into the sewers. "I'm going with you" She turned to see the slate haired teen hurrying after her.

She turned away from him. "There's no need" She said shortly, "I can do this by myself" She jumped down the entrance, avoiding the ladder completely. She landed neatly on her feet at the bottom of the ladder; she stiffened as the movement caused a slight jarring of the bones in her back. Shaking her head as the small pain ebbed quickly away, she moved swiftly down the dark tunnel.

A slight thudding sound behind her alerted her to the fact that Kai had ignored her request to be alone and had decided to follow her after all. She quickened her pace, but Kai only did the same and was soon walking along side her.

"I don't need an escort Kai" Ghost said testily, her mottled eyes whirling in the darkness. "I can do this by myself"

"Hn" was the only response she got. Rolling her eyes in dark, she quickened her pace again, soon emerging out into the dimming light in the dusk. The city was bathed in an orange glow as the sun was going down. Ghost sighed happily, at times, even the city appeared beautiful.

The two teens walked on in silence, not a word exchanged between the two of them until they reached the door of the two girl's apartment. Ghost pushed the door gently and it swung inwards slowly and silently, unlocked.

She stepped into the room, skirting swiftly around the red splotches that stained the thick carpet. The grey eyed teen peered cautiously into the room, watching the white haired girl. "So, how much of this blood is yours?" he asked casually.

"None of it" Ghost replied simply, grabbing a backpack a cupboard and walking quickly into one of the adjoining bedrooms, stuffing clothes into the bag carelessly.

Kai made a 'hmm' sound and wandered around the main room of the apartment, picking up one of the knives that were scattered randomly around the room, a simple black one.

He ran his finger lightly along the edge of the blade. 'Good taste' he thought to himself.

"Put that down please" Ghost's voice sounded a little tetchily to his right. Not letting go of the knife, Kai tipped his head to stare back into her multicolored eyes, he raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Put it down." Ghost said again, more firmly this time. She frowned at the slate haired teen, who slowly put the knife back down on the table, a smirk playing on his face. "As you wish" He said softly, and inclined his head towards her and moved his hand a little, a small half bow to the white haired girl.

The frown turned quickly into a small glare. Sighing, the pale girl shook her head and turned away.

"What's wrong with you? You were fine back at the base, now you're all twitchy" Kai ventured.

"This place…" Ghost started, "It makes me a little uneasy now, after what happened…" She looked away from the slate haired boy.

"Hey don't worry about that" She felt his place his hand on her shoulder, she half turned her head and gave him a little smile. "After all, I'm here too, I'll protect you"

The smile half slipped from Ghost's face, "I don't need protecting!" She said loudly, looking at the other teen pointedly.

"Ok, ok!" Kai smiled at the white haired girl, "If you say so…"

Ghost's eyes narrowed slightly, "I do say so!" She glared at his when he just carried on laughing. "Hey! What's so funny!" She punched him lightly on the shoulder. Upon receiving no answer she punched him harder. "Stop laughing at me!" She swung her fist again.

Kai ducked under her fist and pushed her stomach, laughter still pouring from his lips; she took a few steps backwards, and then ran at him, hurling her body into his. Taken aback, Kai stumbled backwards, and was knocked over by the impact. He twisted them around so that he landed on the bottom of the pair, cushioning the injured girl's fall.

Ghost smirked down at his triumphantly. "That'll teach you to laugh at me". She sat on his stomach, pinning the boy to the ground.

"Guess you got me" Kai admitted slowly, neither of them made a move to push the other off or get up. Just laid there staring back at one another. Cold grey meeting whirling green.

Suddenly, Kai pushed himself up on his elbow, pressing his lips against the girl's. Ghost seemed to freeze as the velvety lips brushed against her own, but she didn't seem able to pull away, all she could do was respond. Moving her lips against his, the kiss seemed to go on forever. After an eternity, Kai pulled away, looking uncertainly at the girl. She seemed more shocked than anything else.

"I…I'm sorry Ghost" He tripped over his words, avoiding looking at the girls swirling green eyes.

"Sorry for what?" The next part surprised him, as their lips met again. With a renewed passion.

* * *

Zombie: At last!

Johnny: you enjoy writing bits like that don't you…

Zombie: Yes…

Johnny: You're a pervert

Zombie: Speak for yourself player-boy!


	13. Chapter The Thirteenth

Zombie: Phew...this is a welcome break from coursework…

Johnny: …You haven't finished your work yet…

Zombie: shut up!

Johnny: Zombie doesn't own Beyblade, or any of the characters in this fic besides Hannah, Toshi and Dai. Ghost belongs to herself.

Zombie: Do we have to do this all the time?

Johnny: …only every once in a while…

Zombie: Enjoy the fic folks!

* * *

Some time had passed by the time Ghost stood up in the living room of the apartment. She stretched a hand out to the slate haired teen still laid casually on the think carpet. He grabbed her hand and hauled himself to his feet. Both just stood there looking at each other, both in the same situation.

Tousled hair, bruised lips, crumpled clothing. Ghost raked a hand through her mussed white and green locks, trying to tame them and flatten them back to her head, straightening her clothing. He lifted her head to catch Kai looking at her, a smirk on his features.

"What are you looking at, Nemo?"

"You" Stupid answer. "And why have we gone back to the name calling?" He turned the imploring grey eyes on her.

"Hey" She said, "Don't think anything's different now" She stooped and picked up one of the forgotten backpacks from where it had been dropped earlier, and slung one strap over her shoulder.

"Wouldn't dream of it" Kai said simply with a smile. "We should be getting back; the others will start to wonder what's happened to us"

Ghost grinned back at him, "Lord forbid they ever work that one out"

"True" Kai said, "Shall we?" He gestured towards the doorway, swinging the other pack onto her back.

"Yes" And they both walked out through the door, Ghost was glad to see the back of it.

* * *

"No Johnny! You are not to draw on her!" Rei's usually calm voice rang out through the room as he tried to wrestle the pens from the Scottish boy's fingers.

"Come on! It would be a perfect 'Kodak Moment'!" The red head whined.

"No!" Rei grabbed at the felt tips in the taller boy's hand again.

"Aw, you're no fun!" The red head complained as the other boy managed to snatch the coloring pens away from him, Rei only stuck his tongue out at him in response.

"Grow up, you two!" Daichi's voice split through the air. The small red haired boy was sat back on one of the sofas, his knees drawn up to his chest and a scowl permanently fixed on his face.

Both Johnny and Rei stopped their bickering instantly and stared gob smacked at the young boy before bursting into a fit of laughter.

"Hey!" If possible, the boy's frown deepened. "What's so funny? Huh!" He demanded.

"Oh the irony!" Rei managed to gasp out. He clutched his stomach as he laughed.

"Being told to grow up by a child! That's gotta be a first for us!" Johnny said in between the laughter.

"I'm not a child!" Daichi near yelled. "I'm thirteen years old! I'm not a child!"

"Right, of course" Rei nodded sincerely, agreeing with the boy.

"Mou…what's all the noise?" A quiet voice behind him made Daichi spin on his heel to face the previously sleeping girl on the sofa. She still had her eyes closed.

Hannah lifted her good hand to her face and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She fluttered her eyelids open and blinked a few times to clear her vision.

The large brown eyes looked at Daichi imploringly. Daichi didn't answer her, but just turned his back on her, refusing to interact.

"Sorry if we woke you Hannah" Rei said apologetically, smiling at the small girl.

Hannah smiled back at the black haired boy, "Where's Ghostie?" She said quietly after glancing around the room and noting the absence of the white haired girl.

"She and Kai went back to your place to grab some stuff" Johnny filled in.

"Speaking of which" Rei started, a slightly concerned look apparent in the golden slitted eyes. "They've been gone a while now"

"Naw" Johnny shrugged and dropped down onto the sofa next the dark haired girl, "They'll be ok, and we've seen 'em both fight and I think we can safely say that they know how to look after themselves."

"I guess you're right" Rei's worried expression was swiftly replaced with a bright smile. "Anyone hungry?"

Hannah just smiled and shook her head, looking down at her hands which were resting in her lap.

"Are you sure? I haven't seen you eat anything since we brought you in after 'the bank episode' yesterday…" Rei asked her, beginning to look worried again.

Again she just shook her head. "I'm fine…"

"Well, if you're sure…" Rei turned away and walked quickly into the kitchen section of the room, raving through the cupboards.

Johnny laughed and pushed himself off the sofa, walking to stand at the sideboard dividing the 'kitchen' from the rest of the room. He leant on it and watch the Chinese teen as he searched for something edible.

"Ugh!" Rei exclaimed, pulling several jars out of a cupboard and setting them down on the sideboard next to the other teen. "Half of this stuff is out of date! How long has it been since someone cleared the old food out?" He unscrewed the lid off one of the jars and wrinkled his nose at the overpowering smell. It was so strong it almost brought tears to his eyes, he held the jar away from him and quickly screwed the lid back on tight. "Are they trying to poison us!"

"And they call me a mother hen" Johnny muttered under his breath and chuckled at the expression on his golden eyed friend's face.

"I heard that" Rei pursed his lips and glared at the other teen in mock anger.

Leaving the two boys to argue things out between them, Hannah slowly and carefully pushed herself up from the sofa, and ambled slowly through the door on the other side of room, following the path the red haired boy had taken.

She peered through the doorway, sweeping her gaze through the room until it came to rest on the small green eyed boy sat on the windowsill, gazing out of it into the world outside.

He didn't even notice her as she made her way silently towards him, and sat down on the other end of the windowsill. She watched him for a moment, following his gaze out of the window.

"What do you want?" He said suddenly, not averting his gaze from outside.

"Just...to talk" The girl replied simply, waiting for him to respond.

"I have nothing to talk to you about, vampire" He said the last word with such contempt that a tiny shiver ran up Hannah's spine.

"Why do you hate me so much, Daichi?" She tried to start a conversation again, she was determined to get through to the distant child.

"You kill people just to extend you own life, you're a murderer" Daichi replied coldly, still not looking at her.

"But it's more than that, isn't it Daichi?" Hannah said softly, ever since she had first met the boy, it was plain to see the pain in his eyes. He hated all vampires with a passion, past torment and torture. For one so young, he had seen so much he would rather not have seen.

Finally he tore his gaze away from the window, and turned those tortured green eyes on her. After a moment, even Hannah found herself unable to hold his gaze and averted her eyes. Daichi just turned back to window.

More time passed and the two sat in silence, just staring out of the window at nothing in particular.

Daichi's voice surprised her when he spoke again. "My mother was killed by vampires" He said quietly, "When I was nine"

This would explain the hatred he held against her and Ghost.

"I saw it all, I watched her die…that's why I despise vampires" He spoke again, his voice so quiet any creature with human hearing wouldn't have heard it. But Hannah's enhanced hearing picked up every word.

"I tried to live off the streets" He said, "But where could I get money?" He gave a small snort of laughter, "No one was going to employ a kid! But…Kai found me, and offered me a place here, told me the job. He said he knew what I had gone through. I jumped at the chance!"

Hannah listened to him silently, her eyes watching his face, reading each emotion like a book. A small glisten on his cheek caught her attention, a tear.

Slowly, she reached out towards his face. At first he jerked back, away from her hand. But then he realized that she wouldn't hurt him, and watched her warily as she brushed the tiny droplet from his face. She held it in the palm of her hand, his green eyes watched in amazement as the tear crystallized on her skin, becoming solid and sparkling.

She dropped the small fragment into his own hand, withdrawing back to the other side of the windowsill.

"What is it?" He asked quietly, awe apparent in his voice as he turned the object over in his hand, peering at the tiny tear.

"It's your tear" She said simply, "It'll keep away your nightmares"

His head snapped up and looked at her with wide green eyes, "How did you…"

She pushed herself off the window ledge, gritting her teeth as the slight movement stretched the tender flesh under the bandages. "I just know" She moved away from the younger boy, making her way back towards the door.

"Hey Hannah?" The first time he'd ever called her by her name.

"Hm?" She turned her head to look at him out of the corner of her eye.

He scratched the back of his head, a small sheepish looking smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Uh…thanks" He said quickly, "I guess you aren't as bad as I made you out to be"

The dark haired girl just smiled and disappeared through the door, leaving the red haired boy to his own thoughts and cradling the small fragment to his chest.

* * *

"Wow" Ghost's voice said as she stepped outside of the apartment building, "It sure got dark quick" She tipped her head upwards to look at the bright pinpricks scattered across the dark sky.

"Yeah." Kai agreed, shifting the straps of the bag to rest more comfortably against his shoulders. "We should hurry"

Ghost nodded, her white bangs falling forwards into her eyes. She swept them back away from her face, setting off after the slate haired teen, keeping a brisk pace. She was almost jogging to keep up with Kai's long strides.

They quickly made their way through the winding streets of the city; the streetlamps flickering on as the sky grew darker and darker, washing the city in a dim orange glow.

She was too busy looking at her surroundings to notice that Kai had stopped, and she walked straight into his back. "Ugh" She said at the point of impact and stepped backwards. "Sorry…"

Wordlessly, Kai grabbed her hand and ran down the street, pulling the smaller teen behind him. He took a sharp left, yanking the girl behind him down a small side street and placing his hand over her mouth. Silencing her.

Ghost's green eyes looked at him imploringly as she reached up and yanked his hand away from her mouth. 'What's wrong?' she mouthed at him.

'I don't know…just stay still' he replied. He still had hold of her hand, she idly wondered if he had realized that yet…

Both of them stood still, in the shadow of the side street away from the dimming lights of the streetlamps. Ghost opened her mouth to say something but snapped it shut again as something rushed past the entrance of the side street, not even noticing the two teens.

Before she could even release her breath, she felt Kai's grip tighten around her hand as he ran around the corner and took off down the street, heading towards the nearest manhole. Ghost's feet barely touched the floor as they flew down the darkened streets.

Finally spotting what he was looking for, Kai let go of her hand and crouched down to the floor, wrenching the thick metal slab from its place in the road, opening the entrance into the dark dank sewers. Gesturing for Ghost to get in, she moved quickly and jumped down into the underground, Kai close behind her.

She heard the scraping sound of the cover being dragged back into place and the light from the streets was blocked out, plunging the tunnel into pure darkness.

* * *

Zombie: Phew…that's over…

Johnny: Until next time

Zombie: Stop contradicting me!

Johnny: heh heh….

Zombie: Review please!


	14. Chapter The Fourteenth

Zombie: -yawns- no energy today…

Johnny: You're lazy

Zombie: I prefer the term 'cba'

Johnny: …you nerd

Zombie: -shakes fist- RUN little boy RUN!

Johnny: yeah mate…review please!

* * *

She felt her way along the dark tunnel with one hand, gripping tightly onto Kai's with the other. The walls felt slimy and cold beneath her fingertips.

The slate haired teen walking in front of her, guiding her through the pitch black tunnels.

Ghost stumbled a few times, tripping over unseen rocks on the floor and other junk that had been thrown down into the sewers. Kai never tripped over anything, he was either lucky or had night vision.

Suddenly, his hand was gone, and she groped at the air in front of her trying to find it again. "Kai?" She said loudly, listening to her voice bounce off the cold hard walls and echo down the tunnel.

"Don't worry, I haven't left you" His voice came from directly next to her ear, he was so close she could feel his hot breath moving the strands of hair around her neck. The suddenness of it made her jump and take a sharp intake of breath. Whirling on the spot, she lashed out in the darkness, her hand connecting with something, hoping it was him she had hit and not the wall.

"Ouch!" His voice hissed. Yep, definitely him.

"Don't do that!" She snapped at him, glaring at the space where she thought he was.

"Sorry…" His voice sounded apologetic in the darkness, and it echoed slightly around her, disorientating her slightly and making her unable to pinpoint his exact position.

His hand found hers again and she took it gratefully, thankful for the help. She gripped it tightly, she wasn't going to lose her grip again. They walked on in silence for the next few moments.

"Kai?"

"Hm?

"What was that thing?"

He paused slightly, Ghost's ears picked out a small sigh from the other teen. "I don't know" he said finally, "I don't know what it is"

"It's huge, have you ever seen it?" She asked, "Up close I mean"

"Yeah I have" He answered shortly, his pace seemed to slow down too, and his grip on the white haired girl's hand slackened a little. He went quiet for a few seconds.

"It's horrible" He said simply, "I don't even know what animal I would compare it to…it's furry, scaly, has claws AND talons, razor sharp teeth, grinding teeth, wings…" He trailed off; clearly there were too many features to list. "It's like all animals rolled into one great creature"

Ghost was silent; she couldn't even imagine something that terrible. "You must have gotten pretty close to it to pull off a description like that"

"Yeah…I have" The grey eyed teen said slowly, "Several times in fact, I have a scar across my stomach from that thing"

"Oh…" She didn't know what she could say to that. "But, how can something like that move around and not get seen by the city folk?" She was confused, no matter how fast it was; surely it couldn't go unnoticed forever.

"I don't know that either…it only seems to appear at the worst time possible, when we don't want it to. When we go looking for it however…it's damn near impossible to find!" His voice had a raw edge to it, obviously talking about this creature brought up bad memories for the slate haired teen.

"What happened?" Ghost's voice cut through the still air quietly. She heard Kai breath in, filling his lungs.

"We were out on our regular rounds…say, about a year back now. Me and Tala that is. We were chasing some vampires, not long out of the grave, so they didn't really know what they were doing. We chased them down an alleyway, but by the time we got to the bottom, they were gone and that monster was there in their place." He paused to take a few breaths.

"Everywhere we turned, it was there" Ghost could feel Kai's hands tremor ever so slightly as the memories turned sour.

"It sliced me in one swipe! Rei said I was lucky to live apparently, Tala got backhanded around the face by it"

Ghost didn't say anything, just waiting for the other teen to finish.

"There's only one thing that bugs me about the whole situation though…"

"What's that?" Ghost asked quietly.

"That fact that no one has ever seen it but me and Tala, and now you. Whenever we go out on group missions it doesn't appear, but only when its just me and Tala."

"That's strange…" Ghost concluded quietly, she couldn't quite get her head around the whole thing, surely something that big couldn't hide! Let alone move so quietly!

"Oh…" She heard Kai say, a small laugh coming from him.

"What?" She asked him, tugging on his hand when he didn't answer.

"We stopped moving…" He said quietly. Ghost realized it too.

"Oh, when'd that happen?" She hadn't noticed it at all, and apparently neither had Kai.

"Come on, we're almost back" A slight tug on her hand made her start to walk along the tunnel again, replacing her free hand on the slimy wall.

"How can you even tell? I couldn't see my hand if I waved it in front of my face!" Ghost did that anyway, just to prove her point even though she knew full well Kai couldn't see her doing it.

Kai gave a small laugh, the sound bounced back along the tunnel sounding like there was more than one Kai. "Just trust me on this one, ok?"

She tightened her grip and allowed him to guide her on "Ok…"

* * *

"Ow!" The dark haired girl hissed over her shoulder at the black haired boy, "Not so tight if you don't mind! I'd like to be able to breath!"

The golden eyed boy grinned and loosened the white bandages around the girl's torso. "Sorry"

"I thought vampires didn't need to breath" the red haired teen in front of her teased. She was laid on her stomach on the living room floor, the Chinese teen was changing her bandages, because too much blood had oozed through the old ones, turning them a sickly pink colour that was sticky to the touch. Rei was just tying the bandages off at the small of her back.

She narrowed her eyes at the red head and growled at him. "Are you done yet?" She called over her shoulder, her voice laced with impatience.

With a final yank, the black haired boy gathered enough fabric with one hand and expertly twisted it and tied it off. Hannah pulled her stomach in with a gasp as the bandages tightened.

"Done!" Rei said proudly, standing up with his hands on his hips.

"Up ya come" Tala's hands gripped around her waist and lifted her clean off the floor, setting her down on her feet.

Hannah winced and glanced down at her body, the tight bandages pulling in her stomach. She let out a slow breath. "Almost as bad as a corset…" She mumbled.

"That a good or bad thing?" Tala said jokingly.

"Good, at least I can actually breathe in this thing…" The expression that passed over Tala's face was amusing, a slightly scared look, Hannah let out a small laugh.

"You're kidding?" Tala asked eventually, waiting for the small girl to stop laughing.

"Not at all, Boy" She smiled at him picking up the black jacket that Tala had leant her earlier off the back of the chair and putting it on. It was very big on the small girl and seemed to engulf her. Tala had offered to get her a smaller one, but she said that she was comfortable in that one.

Hannah twisted the upper half of her body a few times, stretching the bandages to make them a little more comfortable. "I'll be glad when these things come off…" She said loudly.

Tala laughed at her, she looked like she was in one of those aerobics classes. "That won't be for a while yet"

"Ne," Hannah said wordlessly, "Next few days I'd say"

"No way…you won't heal that fast, will you?" Disbelief showing on Tala's face.

Hannah stopped moved and regarded him coolly, "You saw how fast Ghost healed" She said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah but she said she's some kind of super being" Tala brushed the subject aside. He noted that Rei had left the room, leaving him there with the vampire.

Hannah didn't seem to hear him as she lifted both hands up into the air, her broken arm was almost healed, and so was out of the sling. She made patterns in the air in front of her with her fingertips.

"What are you doing, Hannah?" Tala went to stand behind her, trying to see what she could see.

"Painting" She replied simply, she kept glancing up from her 'work' to gaze out of the window in front of her, before moving her hands again.

Curiously, Tala stretched one arm out in front of him, pushing his hand through the air space that Hannah was working on.

Her dark brown eyes widened dramatically. "What are you doing? You'll ruin it!" She tugged at his sleeve, trying to pull his arm back.

Tala just twisted his hand through the air. "Look" He said, picking up one of Hannah's hands in his own and pushing it forwards to join him. "There's nothing there" Cupping her hand in his, he moved it in a figure of eight through the air.

Hannah's face twitched into a frown. Sliding her own hand from Tala's she moved it through the air quickly. "Where did it go?" She asked absently, looking all around her.

Tala laughed and tapped the side of her head. "In here. It's all in here" He said softly, Hannah's hand rose and she placed her palm against the side of her head.

"In here?" The frown deepened. Tala nodded when she looked at him.

"Hm…" Was the only thing that she said, her head dropped forwards and her dark hair fell in front of her face.

Tala pushed his hand forwards to brush some of the hair away from her face when her head snapped back up again, he pulled his hand back quickly.

"Ghost is back!" Hannah said loudly and ran through to the other room to greet her friend, Tala followed close behind.

Looking around the room, confusion flitted across the red head's face. "But there's no one…"

He was cut of by the scraping sound of the metal grate being pushed back. Moving towards it, he hooked a hand through one of the holes and helped it along the way by pulling it back to rest against the bar behind it.

A hand thrust up through the gap and grabbed onto the metal grate, pulling the body up. A head of slate hair appeared and a pair of shoulders. Once the grey eyed teen was all the way in, he reached back down and pulled the white haired girl up after him.

Tala looked at Hannah, "How did you know?"

She mere tapped the side of her nose mysteriously. "Hey Ghost! Hey Kai!" She greeted them cheerfully, grinning at the two teens.

Ghost just nodded at the shorter girl, dumping the stuffed backpack on the floor. Kai put the other bag down next to it and greeted the girl with a quick hello, before turning and dropping the metal grate home.

"Hey Tala?" Kai started, looking down on the slightly shorter teen.

"Hm?"

"The creature's back"

* * *

Zombie: -yawns- that took long enough

Johnny: lazy…

Zombie: …meh…cba

Johnny: -glares-

Zombie: Review please folks!


	15. Chapter The Fifthteenth

Zombie: Well good day to all!

Johnny: It's night time…

Zombie: Do you HAVE to contradict everything I say!

Johnny: Why yes, yes I do

Zombie: ; forget I said anything

* * *

The smile dropped from the blue eyed teen's face like an anvil. "But I thought it was gone…" He trailed off.

"Obviously not" Kai ran a hand back through his slate colored hair, only for it to spring back into place.

Totally ignoring the serious conversation going on behind her, Hannah poked the white haired girl on the cheek. "Ne, Ghost? Why are your lips all red?"

Ghost's hand immediately flew to cover her mouth, without realizing. "No reason" She said quickly, her words slightly muffled by her hand.

Hannah pouted, "But there must be a reason for it" She insisted, poking Ghost again.

Ghost removed her hand from her mouth and brushed the smaller girl's intruding hand away. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to mind your own business?"

Hannah just shook her head with a grin, Ghost rolled her eyes. "I'm not telling you anyways" She stuck her tongue out at the dark haired girl.

Hannah just stuck her tongue out in return. "Fine. I don't need you to tell me, I'll find out myself"

Ghost nodded, holding a smile back. "You do that"

"I shall"

"Have you two been listening?" A new voice broke into their conversation, causing both girls' heads to spin in the direction of the voice.

Kai was stood looking at then, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Yes?" Ghost asked, clearly she didn't have a clue what they were talking about.

"Really?" A smirk tugged ever so slightly at the corners of Kai's lips.

Hannah's voice spilled out in one long stream, her eyes staring blankly ahead as she reeled off all of the information the two teens had been talking about during her and Ghost's conversations.

"We're going to go out tonight and try to track the creature, but we have to be sly and pretend that we aren't looking for it because otherwise it won't appear. We're then going to follow it and find out where it hides all the time and try to find out some more information about it"

"Is that right?" Hannah asked, looking upwards at Kai.

Kai blinked. He hadn't been expecting that. He nodded slowly, not being able to think of what to say.

"I'm not even going to ask how you did that…" Tala said skeptically.

Even Ghost looked surprised at Hannah's outburst; she hadn'tpaid any attention toa word the two boys had said.

Hannah just grinned at the other teens. "Just because I don't look like I'm paying attention, doesn't mean I'm not"

"Ok" Tala just nodded, "I'll keep that in mind for future use"

"What time are we going out?" Hannah asked off handedly.

"'Round midnight"

"Wait a second," Ghost intervened. "How come we are involved in this? Isn't this your mission?"

"You saw it didn't you?"

Ghost turned to face the slate haired boy. "…yes? What's that got to do with it?" She answered slowly.

"It allowed you to see it"

A frown pressed itself on Ghost's face. "It didn't know we were there…"

"If it didn't want you to see it, you wouldn't have" Kai answered shortly.

"That means you are involved somehow" Tala finished.

"Oh…Ok then" She'd rather not be involved at all, but things seemingly weren't going her way. Stupid luck.

"You don't have to go if you're afraid…" Kai said softly, even with her back turned the white haired girl could feel his smirk burning into the back of her head. She whirled her head around, white and green locks spreading out around her head.

"Who are you called afraid, Nemo!" She hissed, obviously pissed off.

"Resorted to name calling have we?" His smirk seemed to broaden.

Hannah and Tala stood on the sidelines, watching the insults being bounced back and forth like ping pong balls, neither teen gaining any head way. A fleeting glance passed between them, Hannah shook her head and smiled, rolling her eyes

"Just answer the question!"

"You..."

She growled at him, taking a step forwards. Hannah hastily intervened and stepped between the two.

"Stop" She said warningly, "No fighting today"

Ghost reluctantly stepped back again, silently agreeing with Hannah.

Kai just nodded and stepped away from the girls, "Save it for later, Ghost"

The white haired girl nodded, "Same to you"

Hannah face faulted, "Everyone likes fighting…" She looked downcast for a moment. "Anyway! I have a question Kai!"

The slate haired teen looked up from the stunner gun he was reloading, "Hm?"

"What's this creature?"

* * *

After a few hours sleep, Hannah was up and wandering around the warehouse, exploring. She'd found many unused rooms, mostly empty, or full of empty cardboard boxes.

She stuck her head around the door of Daichi's room on her way past. The young red head was sleeping peacefully, a smile on his face and his balled up fist resting against his chest, the small fragment nestled inside his hand.

She smiled a little; just glad she'd gotten through to him.

She pulled her head back out from the door and stepped backwards. Her back connected with something that wasn't there before and she swiftly spun on her heel with a gasp.

"What are you doing wandering around at this hour?" A familiar voice said softly, speaking in low tones as not to wake any one sleeping in the rooms nearby.

Hannah breathed out a sigh of relief, "Oh it's only you, Tala" She said in a soft tone, he looked a little different but she couldn't quite point out what it was. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Who did you expect it to be?" His voice sounded a little amused, having startled her.

"I don't know…" She admitted, glancing to the sides.

"So why are you up? You should be getting some sleep; it could be a long night ahead of us"

"Couldn't sleep, and yourself?"

"Same"

"Excited?"

"A little I guess, we might finally be getting somewhere to solving this" He gave her a nervous grin. "What about you, did excitement keep you awake?"

"No…" She shook her head slowly, "Bad dreams…"

"Ah…" He nodded sincerely, "Toshi?"

Hannah just nodded; she didn't trust herself to speak as the aftermath of the nightmares bubbled up in her mind again. Image after image soared through her head, distracting her from the teen stood in front of her.

She rushed back to reality at the sight of a hand waving directly in front of her face. "Hm? Did you say something? I kinda zoned out there…"

Tala let out a low chuckle. "So I noticed, I said you should get some rest, who knows when we'll next get some sleep"

"Oh" Hannah's mouth formed a perfect 'o' at the sound. "Yeh I guess you're right" She skirted around the red haired teen and wandered in the direction of the room that she had been told was hers now.

"You have no intention of sleeping do you?" Tala's voice made her look back over her shoulder.

She turned back around, so her body was facing him. "No, not really…" She admitted, "I won't be able to even if I tried"

"Ok then," Tala nodded and walked towards the door leading into the living room of the warehouse "Care to talk?"

Hannah nodded, smile lighting up her face. "Yeah, I have a few questions for you anyway"

After the two teens had seated themselves comfortably in the living room, Hannah curled up, well as curled up as the restricting bandages would allow, on a threadbare sofa.

Tala, laid sideways over the arms of an old and rather worn out looking arm chair, waved one hand at her lazily. "Shoot"

"How do you know Toshi?" She asked straight away, going straight to the point.

"Everyone knows Toshi"

"But how do you know him?" The dark haired girl persisted, leaning forwards in her seat. "You said before, you recognized the name"

"Yeah…" Tala pushed a hand through his hair; Hannah only now seemed to notice that it was out of its normal style, no gel, so the soft red tresses brushed slightly against his shoulders. So that's what was different, she thought to herself idly.

"We've had a few runs in's with Toshi" Tala stared off into a dark corner of the room, "More than I like to think about"

Hannah watched in silence as the red haired teen continued to speak, the vibrant eyes seeming to darken and mist over as the memories ran deeper.

"I lost team mates to that man" His voice full of contempt, his upper lipped curled back ever so slightly. "This organization was much bigger once, this is all that's left" He ticked the names off on his fingers. "Me, Kai, Rei, Johnny, Kenny, Bryan, Ozuma…Daichi too, but he's too young to fight. Toshi is behind almost every major scheme in the city, he's like a criminal mastermind!"

"Really?" Her voice sounded a little shocked. "But he was always there…he rarely left the house…" Her brow furrowed as she waded through past memories.

"What?" Tala looked straight at her, "Hannah, how often did you see him?"

"Often enough, Papa would spend a lot of time in his library" Hannah's eyes unfocused and stared into thin air as the memories played like amovie in front of her eyes.

"Then how do you if he was there when you didn't see him?" Tala questioned, leaning forwards in his seat.

The dark haired girl fidgeted uncomfortable under the piercing turquoise gaze. "I…I don't" She managed to stutter out, averting her eyes looking everywhere except the turquoise eyes, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Why do you still call him 'Papa'?" Tala tipped his head to one side curiously, "Even after all he's done to you and Ghost"

"I don't know" Hannah shrugged, the brown eyes occasionally flicking up to meet his and then moving away, "Force of habit?"

"Do you want to kill…Toshi?" Hannah asked suddenly, pausing over his name, rolling it around her mouth on her tongue for the first time ever. Tala started, he hadn't expected such a blunt question.

"Yes." He replied, "Yes I do" He looked down at his hands, wondering how the dark haired girl would react.

"Good. Let me help you" Tala's head shot up in surprise.

"What!" He choked out, staring at Hannah gob smacked. "Why would you help me kill the man who raised you!" Confusion raced through the Russian teen's mind.

A frown fixed on her face, Hannah stood slowly to her feet. "Your friend's need avenging don't they?" She said sternly, "Do you want them to have died without a cause?"

The blunt words sent Tala's mind reeling, of course he wanted to avenge them, but why was this girl helping him, what was in it for her? Coming to a decision, he shook his head to clear the confusion and looked up at the vampire standing above him.

"Alright" He grasped the hand that Hannah was holding out to him and shook it firmly. She slipped her hand out of his grasp and moved towards the door, pausing and resting her hand on the door frame.

"It's almost light" She said out loud, not looking at the Russian teen behind her. "You'd better prepare yourself" She made a move to leave.

"Wait!" The girl stopped dead in her tracks, she didn't move from there, just stood in silence. "Why help me?"

She turned her head to look at him out of the corner of her eye.

"I owe you"

* * *

Zombie: Ne…that dragged a bit uu

Johnny: A little

Zombie: Sorry it's so late Ghostie

Johnny: Read and Review folks!

Zombie: Yeh. o.o what he said.


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